Nucleic acid sequences to proteins involved in tocopherol synthesis

ABSTRACT

Nucleic acid sequences and methods are provided for producing plants and seeds having altered tocopherol content and compositions. The methods find particular use in increasing the tocopherol levels in plants, and in providing desirable tocopherol compositions in a host plant cell.

INTRODUCTION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of the provisional Application U.S. Serial No. 60/129,899, filed Apr. 15, 1999, and the provisional Application, U.S. Serial No. 60/146,461, filed Jul. 30, 1999.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention is directed to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences and constructs, and methods related thereto.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Isoprenoids are ubiquitous compounds found in all living organisms. Plants synthesize a diverse array of greater than 22,000 isoprenoids (Connolly and Hill (1992) Dictionary of Terpenoids, Chapman and Hall, New York, N.Y.). In plants, isoprenoids play essential roles in particular cell functions such as production of sterols, contributing to eukaryotic membrane architecture, acyclic polyprenoids found in the side chain of ubiquinone and plastoquinone, growth regulators like abscisic acid, gibberellins, brassinosteroids or the photosynthetic pigments chlorophylls and carotenoids. Although the physiological role of other plant isoprenoids is less evident, like that of the vast array of secondary metabolites, some are known to play key roles mediating the adaptative responses to different environmental challenges. In spite of the remarkable diversity of structure and function, all isoprenoids originate from a single metabolic precursor, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) (Wright, (1961) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 20:525-548; and Spurgeon and Porter, (1981) in Biosynthesis of Isoprenoid Compounds., Porter and Spurgeon eds (John Wiley, New York) Vol. 1, pp 1-46).

[0004] A number of unique and interconnected biochemical pathways derived from the isoprenoid pathway leading to secondary metabolites, including tocopherols, exist in chloroplasts of higher plants. Tocopherols not only perform vital functions in plants, but are also important from mammalian nutritional perspectives. In plastids, tocopherols account for up to 40% of the total quinone pool.

[0005] Tocopherols and tocotrienols (unsaturated tocopherol derivatives) are well known antioxidants, and play an important role in protecting cells from free radical damage, and in the prevention of many diseases, including cardiac disease, cancer, cataracts, retinopathy, Alzheimer's disease, and neurodegeneration, and have been shown to have beneficial effects on symptoms of arthritis, and in anti-aging. Vitamin E is used in chicken feed for improving the shelf life, appearance, flavor, and oxidative stability of meat, and to transfer tocols from feed to eggs. Vitamin E has been shown to be essential for normal reproduction, improves overall performance, and enhances immunocompetence in livestock animals. Vitamin E supplement in animal feed also imparts oxidative stability to milk products.

[0006] The demand for natural tocopherols as supplements has been steadily growing at a rate of 10-20% for the past three years. At present, the demand exceeds the supply for natural tocopherols, which are known to be more biopotent than racemic mixtures of synthetically produced tocopherols. Naturally occurring tocopherols are all d-stereomers, whereas synthetic α-tocopherol is a mixture of eight d,l-α-tocopherol isomers, only one of which (12.5%) is identical to the natural d-α-tocopherol. Natural d-α-tocopherol has the highest vitamin E activity (1.49 IU/mg) when compared to other natural tocopherols or tocotrienols. The synthetic α-tocopherol has a vitamin E activity of 1.1 IU/mg. In 1995, the worldwide market for raw refined tocopherols was $1020 million; synthetic materials comprised 85-88% of the market, the remaining 12-15% being natural materials. The best sources of natural tocopherols and tocotrienols are vegetable oils and grain products. Currently, most of the natural Vitamin E is produced from γ-tocopherol derived from soy oil processing, which is subsequently converted to α-tocopherol by chemical modification (α-tocopherol exhibits the greatest biological activity).

[0007] Methods of enhancing the levels of tocopherols and tocotrienols in plants, especially levels of the more desirable compounds that can be used directly, without chemical modification, would be useful to the art as such molecules exhibit better functionality and biovailability.

[0008] In addition, methods for the increased production of other isoprenoid derived compounds in a host plant cell is desirable. Furthermore, methods for the production of particular isoprenoid compounds in a host plant cell is also needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention is directed to prenyltransferase (PT), and in particular to PT polynucleotides and polypeptides. The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the present invention include those derived from prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources.

[0010] Thus, one aspect of the present invention relates to isolated polynucleotide sequences encoding prenyltransferase proteins. In particular, isolated nucleic acid sequences encoding PT proteins from bacterial and plant sources are provided.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention relates to oligonucleotides which include partial or complete PT encoding sequences.

[0012] It is also an aspect of the present invention to provide recombinant DNA constructs which can be used for transcription or transcription and translation (expression) of prenyltransferase. In particular, constructs are provided which are capable of transcription or transcription and translation in host cells.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, methods are provided for production of prenyltransferase in a host cell or progeny thereof. In particular, host cells are transformed or transfected with a DNA construct which can be used for transcription or transcription and translation of prenyltransferase. The recombinant cells which contain prenyltransferase are also part of the present invention.

[0014] In a further aspect, the present invention relates to methods of using polynucleotide and polypeptide sequences to modify the tocopherol content of host cells, particularly in host plant cells. Plant cells having such a modified tocopherol content are also contemplated herein.

[0015] The modified plants, seeds and oils obtained by the expression of the prenyltransferases are also considered part of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 provides an amino acid sequence alignment between ATPT2, ATPT3, ATPT4, ATPT8, and ATPT12 are performed using ClustalW.

[0017]FIG. 2 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10800.

[0018]FIG. 3 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10801.

[0019]FIG. 4 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10803.

[0020]FIG. 5 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10806.

[0021]FIG. 6 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10807.

[0022]FIG. 7 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10808.

[0023]FIG. 8 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10809.

[0024]FIG. 9 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10810.

[0025]FIG. 10 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10811.

[0026]FIG. 11 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10812.

[0027]FIG. 12 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10813.

[0028]FIG. 13 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10814.

[0029]FIG. 14 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10815.

[0030]FIG. 15 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10816.

[0031]FIG. 16 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10817.

[0032]FIG. 17 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10819.

[0033]FIG. 18 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10824.

[0034]FIG. 19 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10825.

[0035]FIG. 20 provides a schematic picture of the expression construct pCGN10826.

[0036]FIG. 21 provides an amino acid sequence alignment using ClustalW between the Synechocystis sequence knockouts.

[0037]FIG. 22 provides an amino acid sequence of the ATPT2, ATPT3, ATPT4, ATPT8, and ATPT12 protein sequences from Arabidopsis and the slr1736, slr0926, sll1899, slr0056, and the slr1518 amino acid sequences from Synechocystis.

[0038]FIG. 23 provides the results of the enzymatic assay from preparations of wild type Synechocystis strain 6803, and Synechocystis slr1736 knockout.

[0039]FIG. 24 provides bar graphs of HPLC data obtained from seed extracts of transgenic Arabidopsis containing pCGN10822, which provides of the expression of the ATPT2 sequence, in the sense orientation, from the napin promoter. Provided are graphs for alpha, gamma, and delta tocopherols, as well as total tocopherol for 22 transformed lines, as well as a nontransformed (wildtype) control.

[0040]FIG. 25 provides a bar graph of HPLC analysis of seed extracts from Arabidopsis plants transformed with pCGN10803 (35S-ATPT2, in the antisense orientation), pCGN10802 (line 1625, napin ATPT2 in the sense orientation), pCGN10809 (line 1627, 35S-ATPT3 in the sense orientation), a nontransformed (wt) constrol, and a empty vector transformed control.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] The present invention provides, inter alia, compositions and methods for altering (for example, increasing and decreasing) the tocopherol levels and/or modulating their ratios in host cells. In particular, the present invention provides polynucleotides, polypeptides, and methods of use thereof for the modulation of tocopherol content in host plant cells.

[0042] The present invention provides polynucleotide and polypeptide sequences involved in the prenylation of straight chain and aromatic compounds. Straight chain prenyl transferases as used herein comprises sequences which encode proteins involved in the prenylation of straight chain compounds, including, but not limited to, geranyl geranyl pyrophosphate and farnesyl pyrophosphate. Aromatic prenyl transferases, as used herein, comprises sequences which encode proteins involved in the prenylation of aromatic compounds, including, but not limited to, menaquinone, ubiquinone, chlorophyll, and homogentisic acid. The prenyl transferase of the present invention preferably prenylates homogentisic acid.

[0043] The biosynthesis of α-tocopherol in higher plants involves condensation of homogentisic acid and phytylpyrophosphate to form 2-methyl-6phytylbenzoquinol that can, by cyclization and subsequent methylations (Fiedler et al., 1982, Planta, 155: 511-515, Soll et al., 1980, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 204: 544-550, Marshall et al., 1985 Phytochem., 24: 1705-1711, all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety), form various tocopherols. The Arabidopsis pds2 mutant identified and characterized by Norris et al. (1995), is deficient in tocopherol and plastiquinone-9 accumulation. Further genetic and biochemical analysis suggests that the protein encoded by PDS2 may be responsible for the prenylation of homogentisic acid. This may be a rate limiting step in tocopherol biosynthesis, and this gene has yet to be isolated. Thus, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide polynucleotides and polypeptides involved in the prenylation of homogentisic acid.

Isolated Polynucleotides, Proteins, and Polypeptides

[0044] A first aspect of the present invention relates to isolated prenyltransferase polynucleotides. The polynucleotide sequences of the present invention include isolated polynucleotides that encode the polypeptides of the invention having a deduced amino acid sequence selected from the group of sequences set forth in the Sequence Listing and to other polynucleotide sequences closely related to such sequences and variants thereof.

[0045] The invention provides a polynucleotide sequence identical over its entire length to each coding sequence as set forth in the Sequence Listing. The invention also provides the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide or a fragment thereof, as well as the coding sequence for the mature polypeptide or a fragment thereof in a reading frame with other coding sequences, such as those encoding a leader or secretory sequence, a pre-, pro-, or prepro-protein sequence. The polynucleotide can also include non-coding sequences, including for example, but not limited to, non-coding 5′ and 3′ sequences, such as the transcribed, untranslated sequences, termination signals, ribosome binding sites, sequences that stabilize mRNA, introns, polyadenylation signals, and additional coding sequence that encodes additional amino acids. For example, a marker sequence can be included to facilitate the purification of the fused polypeptide. Polynucleotides of the present invention also include polynucleotides comprising a structural gene and the naturally associated sequences that control gene expression.

[0046] The invention also includes polynucleotides of the formula:

X-(R₁)_(n)-(R₂)-(R₃)_(n)-Y

[0047] wherein, at the 5′ end, X is hydrogen, and at the 3′ end, Y is hydrogen or a metal, R₁ and R₃ are any nucleic acid residue, n is an integer between 1 and 3000, preferably between 1 and 1000 and R₂ is a nucleic acid sequence of the invention, particularly a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group set forth in the Sequence Listing and preferably those of SEQ ID NOs:1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13-16, 18, 23, 29, 36, and 38. In the formula, R₂ is oriented so that its 5′ end residue is at the left, bound to R₁, and its 3′ end residue is at the right, bound to R₃. Any stretch of nucleic acid residues denoted by either R group, where R is greater than 1, may be either a heteropolymer or a homopolymer, preferably a heteropolymer.

[0048] The invention also relates to variants of the polynucleotides described herein that encode for variants of the polypeptides of the invention. Variants that are fragments of the polynucleotides of the invention can be used to synthesize full-length polynucleotides of the invention. Preferred embodiments are polynucleotides encoding polypeptide variants wherein 5 to 10, 1 to 5, 1 to 3, 2, 1 or no amino acid residues of a polypeptide sequence of the invention are substituted, added or deleted, in any combination. Particularly preferred are substitutions, additions, and deletions that are silent such that they do not alter the properties or activities of the polynucleotide or polypeptide.

[0049] Further preferred embodiments of the invention that are at least 50%, 60%, or 70% identical over their entire length to a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of the invention, and polynucleotides that are complementary to such polynucleotides. More preferable are polynucleotides that comprise a region that is at least 80% identical over its entire length to a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide of the invention and polynucleotides that are complementary thereto. In this regard, polynucleotides at least 90% identical over their entire length are particularly preferred, those at least 95% identical are especially preferred. Further, those with at least 97% identity are highly preferred and those with at least 98% and 99% identity are particularly highly preferred, with those at least 99% being the most highly preferred.

[0050] Preferred embodiments are polynucleotides that encode polypeptides that retain substantially the same biological function or activity as the mature polypeptides encoded by the polynucleotides set forth in the Sequence Listing.

[0051] The invention further relates to polynucleotides that hybridize to the above-described sequences. In particular, the invention relates to polynucleotides that hybridize under stringent conditions to the above-described polynucleotides. As used herein, the terms “stringent conditions” and “stringent hybridization conditions” mean that hybridization will generally occur if there is at least 95% and preferably at least 97% identity between the sequences. An example of stringent hybridization conditions is overnight incubation at 42° C. in a solution comprising 50% formamide, 5× SSC (150 mM NaCl, 15 mM trisodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.6), 5× Denhardt's solution, 10% dextran sulfate, and 20 micrograms/milliliter denatured, sheared salmon sperm DNA, followed by washing the hybridization support in 0.1× SSC at approximately 65° C. Other hybridization and wash conditions are well known and are exemplified in Sambrook, et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition, cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1989), particularly Chapter 11.

[0052] The invention also provides a polynucleotide consisting essentially of a polynucleotide sequence obtainable by screening an appropriate library containing the complete gene for a polynucleotide sequence set for in the Sequence Listing under stringent hybridization conditions with a probe having the sequence of said polynucleotide sequence or a fragment thereof; and isolating said polynucleotide sequence. Fragments useful for obtaining such a polynucleotide include, for example, probes and primers as described herein.

[0053] As discussed herein regarding polynucleotide assays of the invention, for example, polynucleotides of the invention can be used as a hybridization probe for RNA, cDNA, or genomic DNA to isolate full length cDNAs or genomic clones encoding a polypeptide and to isolate cDNA or genomic clones of other genes that have a high sequence similarity to a polynucleotide set forth in the Sequence Listing. Such probes will generally comprise at least 15 bases. Preferably such probes will have at least 30 bases and can have at least 50 bases. Particularly preferred probes will have between 30 bases and 50 bases, inclusive.

[0054] The coding region of each gene that comprises or is comprised by a polynucleotide sequence set forth in the Sequence Listing may be isolated by screening using a DNA sequence provided in the Sequence Listing to synthesize an oligonucleotide probe. A labeled oligonucleotide having a sequence complementary to that of a gene of the invention is then used to screen a library of cDNA, genomic DNA or mRNA to identify members of the library which hybridize to the probe. For example, synthetic oligonucleotides are prepared which correspond to the prenyltransferase EST sequences. The oligonucleotides are used as primers in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques to obtain 5′ and 3′ terminal sequence of prenyl transferase genes. Alternatively, where oligonucleotides of low degeneracy can be prepared from particular prenyltransferase peptides, such probes may be used directly to screen gene libraries for prenyltransferase gene sequences. In particular, screening of cDNA libraries in phage vectors is useful in such methods due to lower levels of background hybridization.

[0055] Typically, a prenyltransferase sequence obtainable from the use of nucleic acid probes will show 60-70% sequence identity between the target prenyltransferase sequence and the encoding sequence used as a probe. However, lengthy sequences with as little as 50-60% sequence identity may also be obtained. The nucleic acid probes may be a lengthy fragment of the nucleic acid sequence, or may also be a shorter, oligonucleotide probe. When longer nucleic acid fragments are employed as probes (greater than about 100 bp), one may screen at lower stringencies in order to obtain sequences from the target sample which have 20-50% deviation (i.e., 50-80% sequence homology) from the sequences used as probe. Oligonucleotide probes can be considerably shorter than the entire nucleic acid sequence encoding an prenyltransferase enzyme, but should be at least about 10, preferably at least about 15, and more preferably at least about 20 nucleotides. A higher degree of sequence identity is desired when shorter regions are used as opposed to longer regions. It may thus be desirable to identify regions of highly conserved amino acid sequence to design oligonucleotide probes for detecting and recovering other related prenyltransferase genes. Shorter probes are often particularly useful for polymerase chain reactions (PCR), especially when highly conserved sequences can be identified. (See, Gould, et al., PNAS USA (1989) 86:1934-1938.).

[0056] Another aspect of the present invention relates to prenyltransferase polypeptides. Such polypeptides include isolated polypeptides set forth in the Sequence Listing, as well as polypeptides and fragments thereof, particularly those polypeptides which exhibit prenyltransferase activity and also those polypeptides which have at least 50%, 60% or 70% identity, preferably at least 80% identity, more preferably at least 90% identity, and most preferably at least 95% identity to a polypeptide sequence selected from the group of sequences set forth in the Sequence Listing, and also include portions of such polypeptides, wherein such portion of the polypeptide preferably includes at least 30 amino acids and more preferably includes at least 50 amino acids.

[0057] “Identity”, as is well understood in the art, is a relationship between two or more polypeptide sequences or two or more polynucleotide sequences, as determined by comparing the sequences. In the art, “identity” also means the degree of sequence relatedness between polypeptide or polynucleotide sequences, as determined by the match between strings of such sequences. “Identity” can be readily calculated by known methods including, but not limited to, those described in Computational Molecular Biology, Lesk, A. M., ed., Oxford University Press, New York (1988); Biocomputing: Informatics and Genome Projects, Smith, D. W., ed., Academic Press, New York, 1993; Computer Analysis of Sequence Data, Part I, Griffin, A. M. and Griffin, H. G., eds., Humana Press, New Jersey (1994); Sequence Analysis in Molecular Biology, von Heinje, G., Academic Press (1987); Sequence Analysis Primer, Gribskov, M. and Devereux, J., eds., Stockton Press, New York (1991); and Carillo, H., and Lipman, D., SIAM J Applied Math, 48:1073 (1988). Methods to determine identity are designed to give the largest match between the sequences tested. Moreover, methods to determine identity are codified in publicly available programs. Computer programs which can be used to determine identity between two sequences include, but are not limited to, GCG (Devereux, J., et al., Nucleic Acids Research 12(1):387 (1984); suite of five BLAST programs, three designed for nucleotide sequences queries (BLASTN, BLASTX, and TBLASTX) and two designed for protein sequence queries (BLASTP and TBLASTN) (Coulson, Trends in Biotechnology, 12: 76-80 (1994); Birren, et al., Genome Analysis, 1: 543-559 (1997)). The BLAST X program is publicly available from NCBI and other sources (BLAST Manual, Altschul, S., et al., NCBI NLM NIH, Bethesda, Md. 20894; Altschul, S., et al., J. Mol. Biol., 215:403-410 (1990)). The well known Smith Waterman algorithm can also be used to determine identity.

[0058] Parameters for polypeptide sequence comparison typically include the following:

[0059] Algorithm: Needleman and Wunsch, J. Mol. Biol. 48:443-453 (1970)

[0060] Comparison matrix: BLOSSUM62 from Hentikoff and Hentikoff, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 89:10915-10919 (1992)

[0061] Gap Penalty: 12

[0062] Gap Length Penalty: 4

[0063] A program which can be used with these parameters is publicly available as the “gap” program from Genetics Computer Group, Madison Wis. The above parameters along with no penalty for end gap are the default parameters for peptide comparisons.

[0064] Parameters for polynucleotide sequence comparison include the following:

[0065] Algorithm: Needleman and Wunsch, J. Mol. Biol. 48:443-453 (1970)

[0066] Comparison matrix: matches=+10; mismatches=0

[0067] Gap Penalty: 50

[0068] Gap Length Penalty: 3

[0069] A program which can be used with these parameters is publicly available as the “gap” program from Genetics Computer Group, Madison Wis. The above parameters are the default parameters for nucleic acid comparisons.

[0070] The invention also includes polypeptides of the formula:

X-(R₁)_(n)-(R₂)-(R₃)_(n)-Y

[0071] wherein, at the amino terminus, X is hydrogen, and at the carboxyl terminus, Y is hydrogen or a metal, R₁ and R₃ are any amino acid residue, n is an integer between 1 and 1000, and R₂ is an amino acid sequence of the invention, particularly an amino acid sequence selected from the group set forth in the Sequence Listing and preferably those encoded by the sequences provided in SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 17, 19-22, 24-28, 30, 32-35, 37, and 39. In the formula, R₂ is oriented so that its amino terminal residue is at the left, bound to R₁, and its carboxy terminal residue is at the right, bound to R₃. Any stretch of amino acid residues denoted by either R group, where R is greater than 1, may be either a heteropolymer or a homopolymer, preferably a heteropolymer.

[0072] Polypeptides of the present invention include isolated polypeptides encoded by a polynucleotide comprising a sequence selected from the group of a sequence contained in the Sequence Listing set forth herein.

[0073] The polypeptides of the present invention can be mature protein or can be part of a fusion protein.

[0074] Fragments and variants of the polypeptides are also considered to be a part of the invention. A fragment is a variant polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence that is entirely the same as part but not all of the amino acid sequence of the previously described polypeptides. The fragments can be “free-standing” or comprised within a larger polypeptide of which the fragment forms a part or a region, most preferably as a single continuous region. Preferred fragments are biologically active fragments which are those fragments that mediate activities of the polypeptides of the invention, including those with similar activity or improved activity or with a decreased activity. Also included are those fragments that antigenic immunogenic in an animal, particularly a human.

[0075] Variants of the polypeptide also include polypeptides that vary from the sequences set forth in the Sequence Listing by conservative amino acid substitutions, substitution of a residue by another with like characteristics. In general, such substitutions are among Ala, Val, Leu and Ile; between Ser and Thr; between Asp and Glu; between Asn and Gln; between Lys and Arg; or between Phe and Tyr. Particularly preferred are variants in which 5 to 10; 1 to 5; 1 to 3 or one amino acid(s) are substituted, deleted, or added, in any combination.

[0076] Variants that are fragments of the polypeptides of the invention can be used to produce the corresponding full length polypeptide by peptide synthesis. Therefore, these variants can be used as intermediates for producing the full-length polypeptides of the invention.

[0077] The polynucleotides and polypeptides of the invention can be used, for example, in the transformation of host cells, such as plant host cells, as further discussed herein.

[0078] The invention also provides polynucleotides that encode a polypeptide that is a mature protein plus additional amino or carboxyl-terminal amino acids, or amino acids within the mature polypeptide (for example, when the mature form of the protein has more than one polypeptide chain). Such sequences can, for example, play a role in the processing of a protein from a precursor to a mature form, allow protein transport, shorten or lengthen protein half-life, or facilitate manipulation of the protein in assays or production. It is contemplated that cellular enzymes can be used to remove any additional amino acids from the mature protein.

[0079] A precursor protein, having the mature form of the polypeptide fused to one or more prosequences may be an inactive form of the polypeptide. The inactive precursors generally are activated when the prosequences are removed. Some or all of the prosequences may be removed prior to activation. Such precursor protein are generally called proproteins.

Plant Constructs and Methods of Use

[0080] Of particular interest is the use of the nucleotide sequences in recombinant DNA constructs to direct the transcription or transcription and translation (expression) of the prenyltransferase sequences of the present invention in a host plant cell. The expression constructs generally comprise a promoter functional in a host plant cell operably linked to a nucleic acid sequence encoding a prenyltransferase of the present invention and a transcriptional termination region functional in a host plant cell.

[0081] A first nucleic acid sequence is “operably linked” or “operably associated” with a second nucleic acid sequence when the sequences are so arranged that the first nucleic acid sequence affects the function of the second nucleic-acid sequence. Preferably, the two sequences are part of a single contiguous nucleic acid molecule and more preferably are adjacent. For example, a promoter is operably linked to a gene if the promoter regulates or mediates transcription of the gene in a cell.

[0082] Those skilled in the art will recognize that there are a number of promoters which are functional in plant cells, and have been described in the literature. Chloroplast and plastid specific promoters, chloroplast or plastid functional promoters, and chloroplast or plastid operable promoters are also envisioned.

[0083] One set of plant functional promoters are constitutive promoters such as the CaMV35S or FMV35S promoters that yield high levels of expression in most plant organs. Enhanced or duplicated versions of the CaMV35S and FMV35S promoters are useful in the practice of this invention (Odell, et al. (1985) Nature 313:810-812; Rogers, U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619). In addition, it may also be preferred to bring about expression of the prenyltransferase gene in specific tissues of the plant, such as leaf, stem, root, tuber, seed, fruit, etc., and the promoter chosen should have the desired tissue and developmental specificity.

[0084] Of particular interest is the expression of the nucleic acid sequences of the present invention from transcription initiation regions which are preferentially expressed in a plant seed tissue. Examples of such seed preferential transcription initiation sequences include those sequences derived from sequences encoding plant storage protein genes or from genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis in oilseeds. Examples of such promoters include the 5′ regulatory regions from such genes as napin (Kridl et al., Seed Sci. Res. 1:209:219 (1991)), phaseolin, zein, soybean trypsin inhibitor, ACP, stearoyl-ACP desaturase, soybean α′ subunit of β-conglycinin (soy 7s, (Chen et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 83:8560-8564 (1986))) and oleosin.

[0085] It may be advantageous to direct the localization of proteins conferring prenyltransferase to a particular subcellular compartment, for example, to the mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum, vacuoles, chloroplast or other plastidic compartment. For example, where the genes of interest of the present invention will be targeted to plastids, such as chloroplasts, for expression, the constructs will also employ the use of sequences to direct the gene to the plastid. Such sequences are referred to herein as chloroplast transit peptides (CTP) or plastid transit peptides (PTP). In this manner, where the gene of interest is not directly inserted into the plastid, the expression construct will additionally contain a gene encoding a transit peptide to direct the gene of interest to the plastid. The chloroplast transit peptides may be derived from the gene of interest, or may be derived from a heterologous sequence having a CTP. Such transit peptides are known in the art. See, for example, Von Heijne et al. (1991) Plant Mol. Biol. Rep. 9:104-126; Clark et al. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264:17544-17550; della-Cioppa et al. (1987) Plant Physiol. 84:965-968; Romer et al. (1993) Biochem. Biophys. Res Commun. 196:1414-1421; and, Shah et al. (1986) Science 233:478481.

[0086] Depending upon the intended use, the constructs may contain the nucleic acid sequence which encodes the entire prenyltransferase protein, or a portion thereof. For example, where antisense inhibition of a given prenyltransferase protein is desired, the entire prenyltransferase sequence is not required. Furthermore, where prenyltransferase sequences used in constructs are intended for use as probes, it may be advantageous to prepare constructs containing only a particular portion of a prenyltransferase encoding sequence, for example a sequence which is discovered to encode a highly conserved prenyltransferase region.

[0087] The skilled artisan will recognize that there are various methods for the inhibition of expression of endogenous sequences in a host cell. Such methods include, but are not limited to, antisense suppression (Smith, et al. (1988) Nature 334:724-726), co-suppression (Napoli, et al. (1989) Plant Cell 2:279-289), ribozymes (PCT Publication WO 97/10328), and combinations of sense and antisense Waterhouse, et al. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:13959-13964. Methods for the suppression of endogenous sequences in a host cell typically employ the transcription or transcription and translation of at least a portion of the sequence to be suppressed. Such sequences may be homologous to coding as well as non-coding regions of the endogenous sequence.

[0088] Regulatory transcript termination regions may be provided in plant expression constructs of this invention as well. Transcript termination regions may be provided by the DNA sequence encoding the prenyltransferase or a convenient transcription termination region derived from a different gene source, for example, the transcript termination region which is naturally associated with the transcript initiation region. The skilled artisan will recognize that any convenient transcript termination region which is capable of terminating transcription in a plant cell may be employed in the constructs of the present invention.

[0089] Alternatively, constructs may be prepared to direct the expression of the prenyltransferase sequences directly from the host plant cell plastid. Such constructs and methods are known in the art and are generally described, for example, in Svab, et al. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:8526-8530 and Svab and Maliga (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:913-917 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,507.

[0090] The prenyltransferase constructs of the present invention can be used in transformation methods with additional constructs providing for the expression of other nucleic acid sequences encoding proteins involved in the production of tocopherols, or tocopherol precursors such as homogentisic acid and/or phytylpyrophosphate. Nucleic acid sequences encoding proteins involved in the production of homogentisic acid are known in the art, and include but not are limited to, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD, EC 1.13.11.27) described for example, by Garcia, et al. ((1999) Plant Physiol. 119(4): 1507-1516), mono or bifunctional tyrA (described for example by Xia, et al. (1992) J. Gen Microbiol. 138:1309-1316, and Hudson, et al. (1984) J. Mol. Biol. 180:1023-1051), Oxygenase, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate di-(9CI), 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase; p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase; p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate hydroxylase; p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate oxidase; p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid hydroxylase; p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvic hydroxylase; p-Hydroxyphenylpyruvic oxidase), 4-hydroxyphenylacetate, NAD(P)H:oxygen oxidoreductase (1-hydroxylating); 4-hydroxyphenylacetate 1-monooxygenase, and the like. In addition, constructs for the expression of nucleic acid sequences encoding proteins involved in the production of phytylpyrophosphate can also be employed with the prenyltransferase constructs of the present invention. Nucleic acid sequences encoding proteins involved in the production of phytylpyrophosphate are known in the art, and include, but are not limited to geranylgeranylpyrophosphate synthase (GGPPS),geranylgeranylpyrophosphate reductase (GGH), 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase, 1-deoxy-D-xylolose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase, 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methylerythritol synthase, isopentyl pyrophosphate isomerase.

[0091] The prenyltransferase sequences of the present invention find use in the preparation of transformation constructs having a second expression cassette for the expression of additional sequences involved in tocopherol biosynthesis. Additional tocopherol biosynthesis sequences of interest in the present invention include, but are not limited to gamma-tocpherol methyltransferase (Shintani, et al. (1998) Science 282(5396):2098-2100), tocopherol cyclase, and tocopherol methyltransferase.

[0092] A plant cell, tissue, organ, or plant into which the recombinant DNA constructs containing the expression constructs have been introduced is considered transformed, transfected, or transgenic. A transgenic or transformed cell or plant also includes progeny of the cell or plant and progeny produced from a breeding program employing such a transgenic plant as a parent in a cross and exhibiting an altered phenotype resulting from the presence of a prenyltransferase nucleic acid sequence.

[0093] Plant expression or transcription constructs having a prenyltransferase as the DNA sequence of interest for increased or decreased expression thereof may be employed with a wide variety of plant life, particularly, plant life involved in the production of vegetable oils for edible and industrial uses. Particularly preferred plants for use in the methods of the present invention include, but are not limited to: Acacia, alfalfa, aneth, apple, apricot, artichoke, arugula, asparagus, avocado, banana, barley, beans, beet, blackberry, blueberry, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, canola, cantaloupe, carrot, cassava, cauliflower, celery, cherry, chicory, cilantro, citrus, clementines, coffee, corn, cotton, cucumber, Douglas fir, eggplant, endive, escarole, eucalyptus, fennel, figs, garlic, gourd, grape, grapefruit, honey dew, jicama, kiwifruit, lettuce, leeks, lemon, lime, Loblolly pine, mango, melon, mushroom, nectarine, nut, oat, oil palm, oil seed rape, okra, onion, orange, an ornamental plant, papaya, parsley, pea, peach, peanut, pear, pepper, persimmon, pine, pineapple, plantain, plum, pomegranate, poplar, potato, pumpkin, quince, radiata pine, radicchio, radish, raspberry, rice, rye, sorghum, Southern pine, soybean, spinach, squash, strawberry, sugarbeet, sugarcane, sunflower, sweet potato, sweetgum, tangerine, tea, tobacco, tomato, triticale, turf, turnip, a vine, watermelon, wheat, yams, and zucchini. Most especially preferred are temperate oilseed crops. Temperate oilseed crops of interest include, but are not limited to, rapeseed (Canola and High Erucic Acid varieties), sunflower, safflower, cotton, soybean, peanut, coconut and oil palms, and corn. Depending on the method for introducing the recombinant constructs into the host cell, other DNA sequences may be required. Importantly, this invention is applicable to dicotyledyons and monocotyledons species alike and will be readily applicable to new and/or improved transformation and regulation techniques.

[0094] Of particular interest, is the use of prenyltransferase constructs in plants to produce plants or plant parts, including, but not limited to leaves, stems, roots, reproductive, and seed, with a modified content of tocopherols in plant parts having transformed plant cells.

[0095] For immunological screening, antibodies to the protein can be prepared by injecting rabbits or mice with the purified protein or portion thereof, such methods of preparing antibodies being well known to those in the art. Either monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies can be produced, although typically polyclonal antibodies are more useful for gene isolation. Western analysis may be conducted to determine that a related protein is present in a crude extract of the desired plant species, as determined by cross-reaction with the antibodies to the encoded proteins. When cross-reactivity is observed, genes encoding the related proteins are isolated by screening expression libraries representing the desired plant species. Expression libraries can be constructed in a variety of commercially available vectors, including lambda gt11, as described in Sambrook, et al. (Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition (1989) Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.).

[0096] To confirm the activity and specificity of the proteins encoded by the identified nucleic acid sequences as prenyltransferase enzymes, in vitro assays are performed in insect cell cultures using baculovirus expression systems. Such baculovirus expression systems are known in the art and are described by Lee, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,886, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference.

[0097] In addition, other expression constructs may be prepared to assay for protein activity utilizing different expression systems. Such expression constructs are transformed into yeast or prokaryotic host and assayed for prenyltransferase activity. Such expression systems are known in the art and are readily available through commercial sources.

[0098] In addition to the sequences described in the present invention, DNA coding sequences useful in the present invention can be derived from algae, fungi, bacteria, mammalian sources, plants, etc. Homology searches in existing databases using signature sequences corresponding to conserved nucleotide and amino acid sequences of prenyltransferase can be employed to isolate equivalent, related genes from other sources such as plants and microorganisms. Searches in EST databases can also be employed. Furthermore, the use of DNA sequences encoding enzymes functionally enzymatically equivalent to those disclosed herein, wherein such DNA sequences are degenerate equivalents of the nucleic acid sequences disclosed herein in accordance with the degeneracy of the genetic code, is also encompassed by the present invention. Demonstration of the functionality of coding sequences identified by any of these methods can be carried out by complementation of mutants of appropriate organisms, such as Synechocystis, Shewanella, yeast, Pseudomonas, Rhodobacteria, etc., that lack specific biochemical reactions, or that have been mutated. The sequences of the DNA coding regions can be optimized by gene resynthesis, based on codon usage, for maximum expression in particular hosts.

[0099] For the alteration of tocopherol production in a host cell, a second expression construct can be used in accordance with the present invention. For example, the prenyltransferase expression construct can be introduced into a host cell in conjunction with a second expression construct having a nucleotide sequence for a protein involved in tocopherol biosynthesis.

[0100] The method of transformation in obtaining such transgenic plants is not critical to the instant invention, and various methods of plant transformation are currently available. Furthermore, as newer methods become available to transform crops, they may also be directly applied hereunder. For example, many plant species naturally susceptible to Agrobacterium infection may be successfully transformed via tripartite or binary vector methods of Agrobacterium mediated transformation. In many instances, it will be desirable to have the construct bordered on one or both sides by T-DNA, particularly having the left and right borders, more particularly the right border. This is particularly useful when the construct uses A. tumefaciens or A. rhizogenes as a mode for transformation, although the T-DNA borders may find use with other modes of transformation. In addition, techniques of microinjection, DNA particle bombardment, and electroporation have been developed which allow for the transformation of various monocot and dicot plant species.

[0101] Normally, included with the DNA construct will be a structural gene having the necessary regulatory regions for expression in a host and providing for selection of transformant cells. The gene may provide for resistance to a cytotoxic agent, e.g. antibiotic, heavy metal, toxin, etc., complementation providing prototrophy to an auxotrophic host, viral immunity or the like. Depending upon the number of different host species the expression construct or components thereof are introduced, one or more markers may be employed, where different conditions for selection are used for the different hosts.

[0102] Where Agrobacterium is used for plant cell transformation, a vector may be used which may be introduced into the Agrobacterium host for homologous recombination with T-DNA or the Ti- or Ri-plasmid present in the Agrobacterium host. The Ti- or Ri-plasmid containing the T-DNA for recombination may be armed (capable of causing gall formation) or disarmed (incapable of causing gall formation), the latter being permissible, so long as the vir genes are present in the transformed Agrobacterium host. The armed plasmid can give a mixture of normal plant cells and gall.

[0103] In some instances where Agrobacterium is used as the vehicle for transforming host plant cells, the expression or transcription construct bordered by the T-DNA border region(s) will be inserted into a broad host range vector capable of replication in E. coli and Agrobacterium, there being broad host range vectors described in the literature. Commonly used is pRK2 or derivatives thereof. See, for example, Ditta, et al., (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. (1980) 77:7347-7351) and EPA 0 120 515, which are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, one may insert the sequences to be expressed in plant cells into a vector containing separate replication sequences, one of which stabilizes the vector in E. coli, and the other in Agrobacterium. See, for example, McBride, et al. (Plant Mol. Biol. (1990) 14:269-276), wherein the pRiHRI (Jouanin, et al., Mol. Gen. Genet. (1985) 201:370-374) origin of replication is utilized and provides for added stability of the plant expression vectors in host Agrobacterium cells.

[0104] Included with the expression construct and the T-DNA will be one or more markers, which allow for selection of transformed Agrobacterium and transformed plant cells. A number of markers have been developed for use with plant cells, such as resistance to chloramphenicol, kanamycin, the aminoglycoside G418, hygromycin, or the like. The particular marker employed is not essential to this invention, one or another marker being preferred depending on the particular host and the manner of construction.

[0105] For transformation of plant cells using Agrobacterium, explants may be combined and incubated with the transformed Agrobacterium for sufficient time for transformation, the bacteria killed, and the plant cells cultured in an appropriate selective medium. Once callus forms, shoot formation can be encouraged by employing the appropriate plant hormones in accordance with known methods and the shoots transferred to rooting medium for regeneration of plants. The plants may then be grown to seed and the seed used to establish repetitive generations and for isolation of vegetable oils.

[0106] There are several possible ways to obtain the plant cells of this invention which contain multiple expression constructs. Any means for producing a plant comprising a construct having a DNA sequence encoding the expression construct of the present invention, and at least one other construct having another DNA sequence encoding an enzyme are encompassed by the present invention. For example, the expression construct can be used to transform a plant at the same time as the second construct either by inclusion of both expression constructs in a single transformation vector or by using separate vectors, each of which express desired genes. The second construct can be introduced into a plant which has already been transformed with the prenyltransferase expression construct, or alternatively, transformed plants, one expressing the prenyltransferase construct and one expressing the second construct, can be crossed to bring the constructs together in the same plant.

[0107] The nucleic acid sequences of the present invention can be used in constructs to provide for the expression of the sequence in a variety of host cells, both prokaryotic eukaryotic. Host cells of the present invention preferably include monocotyledenous and dicotyledenous plant cells.

[0108] In general, the skilled artisan is familiar with the standard resource materials which describe specific conditions and procedures for the construction, manipulation and isolation of macromolecules (e.g., DNA molecules, plasmids, etc.), generation of recombinant organisms and the screening and isolating of clones, (see for example, Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Press (1989); Maliga et al., Methods in Plant Molecular Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Press (1995), the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference; Birren et al., Genome Analysis: Analyzing DNA, 1, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference).

[0109] Methods for the expression of sequences in insect host cells are known in the art. Baculovirus expression vectors are recombinant insect viruses in which the coding sequence for a chosen foreign gene has been inserted behind a baculovirus promoter in place of the viral gene, e.g., polyhedrin (Smith and Summers, U.S. Pat. No., 4,745,051, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference). Baculovirus expression vectors are known in the art, and are described for example in Doerfler, Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immunol. 131:51-68 (1968); Luckow and Summers, Bio/Technology 6:47-55 (1988a); Miller, Annual Review of Microbiol. 42:177-199 (1988); Summers, Curr. Comm. Molecular Biology, Cold Spring Harbor Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1988); Summers and Smith, A Manual of Methods for Baculovirus Vectors and Insect Cell Culture Procedures, Texas Ag. Exper. Station Bulletin No. 1555 (1988), the entireties of which is herein incorporated by reference)

[0110] Methods for the expression of a nucleic acid sequence of interest in a fungal host cell are known in the art. The fungal host cell may, for example, be a yeast cell or a filamentous fungal cell. Methods for the expression of DNA sequences of interest in yeast cells are generally described in “Guide to yeast genetics and molecular biology”, Guthrie and Fink, eds. Methods in enzymology, Academic Press, Inc. Vol 194 (1991) and Gene expression technology”, Goeddel ed, Methods in Enzymology, Academic Press, Inc., Vol 185 (1991).

[0111] Mammalian cell lines available as hosts for expression are known in the art and include many immortalized cell lines available from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, Va.), such as HeLa cells, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells and a number of other cell lines. Suitable promoters for mammalian cells are also known in the art and include, but are not limited to, viral promoters such as that from Simian Virus 40 (SV40) (Fiers et al., Nature 273:113 (1978), the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference), Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), adenovirus (ADV) and bovine papilloma virus (BPV). Mammalian cells may also require terminator sequences and poly-A addition sequences. Enhancer sequences which increase expression may also be included and sequences which promote amplification of the gene may also be desirable (for example methotrexate resistance genes).

[0112] Vectors suitable for replication in mammalian cells are well known in the art, and may include viral replicons, or sequences which insure integration of the appropriate sequences encoding epitopes into the host genome. Plasmid vectors that greatly facilitate the construction of recombinant viruses have been described (see, for example, Mackett et al, J Virol. 49:857 (1984); Chakrabarti et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 5:3403 (1985); Moss, In: Gene Transfer Vectors For Mammalian Cells (Miller and Calos, eds., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, N.Y., p. 10, (1987); all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety).

[0113] The invention now being generally described, it will be more readily understood by reference to the following examples which are included for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Identification of Prenyltransferase Sequences

[0114] PSI-BLAST (Altschul, et al. (1997) Nuc Acid Res 25:3389-3402) profiles were generated for both the straight chain and aromatic classes of prenyltransferases. To generate the straight chain profile, a prenyl-transferase from Porphyra purpurea (Genbank accession 1709766) was used as a query against the NCBI non-redundant protein database. The E. coli enzyme involved in the formation of ubiquinone, ubiA (genbank accession 1790473) was used as a starting sequence to generate the aromatic prenyltransferase profile. These profiles were used to search public and proprietary DNA and protein data bases. In Arabidopsis seven putative prenyltransferases of the straight-chain class were identified, ATPT1, (SEQ ID NO:9), ATPT7 (SEQ ID NO:10), ATPT8 (SEQ ID NO:11), ATPT9 (SEQ ID NO:13), ATPT10 (SEQ ID NO:14), ATPT11 (SEQ ID NO:15), and ATPT12 (SEQ ID NO:16) and five were identified of the aromatic class, ATPT2 (SEQ ID NO:1), ATPT3 (SEQ ID NO:3), ATPT4 (SEQ ID NO:5), ATPT5 (SEQ ID NO:7), ATPT6 (SEQ ID NO:8). Additional prenyltransferase sequences from other plants related to the aromatic class of prenyltransferases, such as soy (SEQ ID NOs: 19-23, the deduced amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:23 is provided in SEQ ID NO:24) and maize (SEQ ID NOs:25-29, and 31) are also identified. The deduced amino acid sequence of ZMPT5 (SEQ ID NO:29) is provided in SEQ ID NO:30.

[0115] Searches are performed on a Silicon Graphics Unix computer using additional Bioaccellerator hardware and GenWeb software supplied by Compugen Ltd. This software and hardware enables the use of the Smith-Waterman algorithm in searching DNA and protein databases using profiles as queries. The program used to query protein databases is profilesearch. This is a search where the query is not a single sequence but a profile based on a multiple alignment of amino acid or nucleic acid sequences. The profile is used to query a sequence data set, i.e., a sequence database. The profile contains all the pertinent information for scoring each position in a sequence, in effect replacing the “scoring matrix” used for the standard query searches. The program used to query nucleotide databases with a protein profile is tprofilesearch. Tprofilesearch searches nucleic acid databases using an amino acid profile query. As the search is running, sequences in the database are translated to amino acid sequences in six reading frames. The output file for tprofilesearch is identical to the output file for profilesearch except for an additional column that indicates the frame in which the best alignment occurred.

[0116] The Smith-Waterman algorithm, (Smith and Waterman (1981) supra), is used to search for similarities between one sequence from the query and a group of sequences contained in the database. E score values as well as other sequence information, such as conserved peptide sequences are used to identify related sequences.

[0117] To obtain the entire coding region corresponding to the Arabidopsis prenyltransferase sequences, synthetic oligo-nucleotide primers are designed to amplify the 5′ and 3′ ends of partial cDNA clones containing prenyltransferase sequences. Primers are designed according to the respective Arabidopsis prenyltransferase sequences and used in Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE) reactions (Frohman et al. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:8998-9002) using the Marathon cDNA amplification kit (Clontech Laboratories Inc, Palo Alto, Calif.).

[0118] Additional BLAST searches are performed using the ATPT2 sequence, a sequence in the class of aromatic prenyl transferases. Additional sequences are identified in soybean libraries that are similar to the ATPT2 sequence. The additional soybean sequence demonstrates 80% identity and 91% similarity at the amino acid sequence.

[0119] Amino acid sequence alignments between ATPT2 (SEQ ID NO:2), ATPT3 (SEQ ID NO:4), ATPT4 (SEQ ID NO:6), ATPT8 (SEQ ID NO:12), and ATPT12 (SEQ ID NO:17) are performed using ClustalW (FIG. 1), and the percent identity and similarities are provided in Table 1 below. TABLE 1 ATPT2 ATPT3 ATPT4 ATPT8 ATPT12 ATPT2 % Identity 12 13 11 15 % similar 25 25 22 32 % Gap 17 20 20 9 ATPT3 % Identity 12 6 22 % similar 29 16 38 % Gap 20 24 14 ATPT4 % Identity 9 14 % similar 18 29 % Gap 26 19 ATPT8 % Identity 7 % similar 19 % Gap 20 ATPT12 % Identity % similar % Gap

Example 2 Preparation of Expression Constructs

[0120] A plasmid containing the napin cassette derived from pCGN3223 (described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,790, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference) was modified to make it more useful for cloning large DNA fragments containing multiple restriction sites, and to allow the cloning of multiple napin fusion genes into plant binary transformation vectors. An adapter comprised of the self annealed oligonucleotide of sequence CGCGATTTAAATGGCGCGCCCTGCAGGCGGCCGCCTGCAGGGCGCGCCATTTAAAT (SEQ ID NO:40) was ligated into the cloning vector pBC SK+ (Stratagene) after digestion with the restriction endonuclease BssHII to construct vector pCGN7765. Plamids pCGN3223 and pCGN7765 were digested with NotI and ligated together. The resultant vector, pCGN7770, contains the pCGN7765 backbone with the napin seed specific expression cassette from pCGN3223.

[0121] The cloning cassette, pCGN7787, essentially the same regulatory elements as pCGN7770, with the exception of the napin regulatory regions of pCGN7770 have been replaced with the double CAMV 35S promoter and the tml polyadenylation and transcriptional termination region.

[0122] A binary vector for plant transformation, pCGN5139, was constructed from pCGN1558 (McBride and Summerfelt, (1990) Plant Molecular Biology, 14:269-276). The polylinker of pCGN1558 was replaced as a HindIII/Asp718 fragment with a polylinker containing unique restriction endonuclease sites, AscI, PacI, Xbal, SwaI, BamHI, and NotI. The Asp718 and HindIII restriction endonuclease sites are retained in pCGN5139.

[0123] A series of turbo binary vectors are constructed to allow for the rapid cloning of DNA sequences into binary vectors containing transcriptional initiation regions (promoters) and transcriptional termination regions.

[0124] The plasmid pCGN8618 was constructed by ligating oligonucleotides 5′-TCGAGGATCCGCGGCCGCAAGCTTCCTGCAGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO:41) and 5′-TCGACCTGCAGGAAGCTTGCGGCCGCGGATCC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:42) into SalI/XhoI-digested pCGN7770. A fragment containing the napin promoter, polylinker and napin 3′ region was excised from pCGN8618 by digestion with Asp718I; the fragment was blunt-ended by filling in the 5′ overhangs with Klenow fragment then ligated into pCGN5139 that had been digested with Asp718I and HindIII and blunt-ended by filling in the 5′ overhangs with Klenow fragment. A plasmid containing the insert oriented so that the napin promoter was closest to the blunted Asp718I site of pCGN5139 and the napin 3′ was closest to the blunted HindIII site was subjected to sequence analysis to confirm both the insert orientation and the integrity of cloning junctions. The resulting plasmid was designated pCGN8622.

[0125] The plasmid pCGN8619 was constructed by ligating oligonucleotides 5′-TCGACCTGCAGGAAGCTTGCGGCCGCGGATCC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:43) and 5′-TCGAGGATCCGCGGCCGCAAGCTTCCTGCAGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO:44) into SalI/XhoI-digested pCGN7770. A fragment containing the napin promoter, polylinker and napin 3′ region was removed from pCGN8619 by digestion with Asp718I; the fragment was blunt-ended by filling in the 5′ overhangs with Klenow fragment then ligated into pCGN5139 that had been digested with Asp718I and HindIII and blunt-ended by filling in the 5′ overhangs with Klenow fragment. A plasmid containing the insert oriented so that the napin promoter was closest to the blunted Asp718I site of pCGN5139 and the napin 3′ was closest to the blunted HindIII site was subjected to sequence analysis to confirm both the insert orientation and the integrity of cloning junctions. The resulting plasmid was designated pCGN8623.

[0126] The plasmid pCGN8620 was constructed by ligating oligonucleotides 5′-TCGAGGATCCGCGGCCGCAAGCTTCCTGCAGGAGCT-3′ (SEQ ID NO:45) and 5′-CCTGCAGGAAGCTTGCGGCCGCGGATCC-3′ (SEQ ID NO:46) into SalI/SacI-digested pCGN7787. A fragment containing the d35S promoter, polylinker and tml 3′ region was removed from pCGN8620 by complete digestion with Asp718I and partial digestion with NotI. The fragment was blunt-ended by filling in the 5′ overhangs with Klenow fragment then ligated into pCGN5139 that had been digested with Asp718I and HindIII and blunt-ended by filling in the 5′ overhangs with Klenow fragment. A plasmid containing the insert oriented so that the d35S promoter was closest to the blunted Asp718I site of pCGN5139 and the tml 3′ was closest to the blunted HindIII site was subjected to sequence analysis to confirm both the insert orientation and the integrity of cloning junctions. The resulting plasmid was designated pCGN8624.

[0127] The plasmid pCGN8621 was constructed by ligating oligonucleotides 5′-TCGACCTGCAGGAAGCTTGCGGCCGCGGATCCAGCT-3′ (SEQ ID NO:47) and 5′-GGATCCGCGGCCGCAAGCTTCCTGCAGG-3′ (SEQ ID NO:48) into SalI/SacI-digested pCGN7787. A fragment containing the d35S promoter, polylinker and tml 3′ region was removed from pCGN8621 by complete digestion with Asp718I and partial digestion with NotI. The fragment was blunt-ended by filling in the 5′ overhangs with Klenow fragment then ligated into pCGN5139 that had been digested with Asp718I and HindIII and blunt-ended by filling in the 5′ overhangs with Klenow fragment. A plasmid containing the insert oriented so that the d35S promoter was closest to the blunted Asp718I site of pCGN5139 and the tml 3′ was closest to the blunted HindIII site was subjected to sequence analysis to confirm both the insert orientation and the integrity of cloning junctions. The resulting plasmid was designated pCGN8625.

[0128] The plasmid construct pCGN8640 is a modification of pCGN8624 described above. A 938 bp PstI fragment isolated from transposon Tn7 which encodes bacterial spectinomycin and streptomycin resistance (Fling et al. (1985), Nucleic Acids Research 13(19):7095-7106), a determinant for E. coli and Agrobacterium selection, was blunt ended with Pfu polymerase. The blunt ended fragment was ligated into pCGN8624 that had been digested with SpeI and blunt ended with Pfu polymerase. The region containing the PstI fragment was sequenced to confirm both the insert orientation and the integrity of cloning junctions.

[0129] The spectinomycin resistance marker was introduced into pCGN8622 and pCGN8623 as follows. A 7.7 Kbp AvrII-SnaBI fragment from pCGN8640 was ligated to a 10.9 Kbp AvrII-SnaBI fragment from pCGN8623 or pCGN8622, described above. The resulting plasmids were pCGN8641 and pCGN8643, respectively.

[0130] The plasmid pCGN8644 was constructed by ligating oligonucleotides 5′-GATCACCTGCAGGAAGCTTGCGGCCGCGGATCCAATGCA-3′ (SEQ ID NO:49) and 5′-TTGGATCCGCGGCCGCAAGCTTCCTGCAGGT-3′ (SEQ ID NO:50) into BamHI-PstI digested pCGN8640.

[0131] Synthetic oligonulceotides were designed for use in Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR) to amplify the coding sequences of ATPT2, ATPT3, ATPT4, ATPT8, and ATPT12 for the preparation of expression constructs and are provided in Table 2 below. TABLE 2 Restriction SEQ ID Name Site Sequence NO: ATPT2 5′ NotI GGATCCGCGGCCGCACAATGGAGTC 51 TCTGCTCTCTAGTTCT ATPT2 3′ SseI GGATCCTGCAGGTCACTTCAAAAAA 52 GGTAACAGCAAGT ATPT3 5′ NotI GGATCCGCGGCCGCACAATGGCGTT 53 TTTTGGGCTCTCCCGTGTTT ATPT3 3′ SseI GGATCCTGCAGGTTATTGAAAACTT 54 CTTCCAAGTACAACT ATPT4 5′ NotI GGATCCGCGGCCGCACAATGTGGCG 55 AAGATCTGTTGTT ATPT4 3′ SseI GGATCCTGCAGGTCATGGAGAGTAG 56 AAGGAAGGAGCT ATPT8 5′ NotI GGATCCGCGGCCGCACAATGGTACT 57 TGCCGAGGTTCCAAAGCTTGCCTCT ATPT8 3′ SseI GGATCCTGCAGGTCACTTGTTTCTG 58 GTGATGACTCTAT ATPTI2 5′ NotI GGATCCGCGGCCGCACAATGACTTC 59 GATTCTCAACACT ATPT12 3′ SseI GGATCCTGCAGGTCAGTGTTGCGAT 60 GCTAATGCCGT

[0132] The coding sequences of ATPT2, ATPT3, ATPT4, ATPT8, and ATPT12 were all amplified using the respective PCR primers shown in Table 2 above and cloned into the TopoTA vector (Invitrogen). Constructs containing the respective prenyltransferase sequences were digested with NotI and Sse8387I and cloned into the turbobinary vectors described above.

[0133] The sequence encoding ATPT2 prenyltransferase was cloned in the sense orientation into pCGN8640 to produce the plant transformation construct pCGN10800 (FIG. 2). The ATPT2 sequence is under control of the 35S promoter.

[0134] The ATPT2 sequence was also cloned in the antisense orientation into the construct pCGN8641 to create pCGN10801 (FIG. 3). This construct provides for the antisense expression of the ATPT2 sequence from the napin promoter.

[0135] The ATPT2 coding sequence was also cloned in the antisense orientation into the vector pCGN8643 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10802

[0136] The ATPT2 coding sequence was also cloned in the antisense orientation into the vector pCGN8644 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10803 (FIG. 4).

[0137] The ATPT4 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN8640 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10806 (FIG. 5). The ATPT2 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN864 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10807(FIG. 6). The ATPT3 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN864 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10808 (FIG. 7). The ATPT3 coding sequence was cloned in the sense orientation into the vector pCGN8640 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10809 FIG. 8). The ATPT3 coding sequence was cloned in the antisense orientation into the vector pCGN8641 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10810 (FIG. 9). The ATPT3 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN8643 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10811 (FIG. 10). The ATPT3 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN8640 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10812 (FIG. 11). The ATPT4 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN8640 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10813 (FIG. 12). The ATPT4 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN8643 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10814 (FIG. 13). The ATPT4 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN8641 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10815 (FIG. 14). The ATPT4 coding sequence was cloned in the antisense orientation into the vector pCGN8644 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10816 (FIG. 15). The ATPT2 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN???? to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10817 (FIG. 16). The ATPT8 coding sequence was cloned in the sense orientation into the vector pCGN8643 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10819 (FIG. 17). The ATPT12 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN8644 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10824 (FIG. 18). The ATPT12 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN8641 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10825 (FIG. 19). The ATPT8 coding sequence was cloned into the vector pCGN8644 to create the plant transformation construct pCGN10826 (FIG. 20).

Example 3 Plant Transformation

[0138] Transgenic Brassica plants are obtained by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation as described by Radke et al. (Theor. Appl. Genet. (1988) 75:685-694; Plant Cell Reports (1992) 11:499-505). Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants may be obtained by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation as described by Valverkens et al., (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (1988) 85:5536-5540), or as described by Bent et al. ((1994), Science 265:1856-1860), or Bechtold et al. ((1993), C. R. Acad. Sci, Life Sciences 316:1194-1199). Other plant species may be similarly transformed using related techniques.

[0139] Alternatively, microprojectile bombardment methods, such as described by Klein et al. (Bio/Technology 10:286-291) may also be used to obtain nuclear transformed plants.

Example 4 Identification of Additional Prenyltransferases

[0140] A PSI-Blast profile generated using the E. coli ubiA (genbank accession 1790473) sequence was used to analyze the Synechocystis genome. This analysis identified 5 open reading frames (ORFs) in the Synechocystis genome that were potentially prenyltransferases; slr0926 (annotated as ubiA (4-hydroxybenzoate-octaprenyl transferase, SEQ ID NO:32), sll1899 (annotated as ctaB (cytocrome c oxidase folding protein, SEQ ID NO:33), slr0056 (annotated as g4 (chlorophyll synthase 33 kd subunit, SEQ ID NO:34), slr1518 (annotated as menA (menaquinone biosynthesis protein, SEQ ID NO:35), and slr1736 (annotated as a hypothetical protein of unknown function (SEQ ID NO:36).

[0141] To determine the functionality of these ORFs and their involvement, if any, in the biosynthesis of Tocopherols, knockouts constructs were made to disrupt the ORF identified in Synechocystis.

[0142] Synthetic oligos were designed to amplify regions from the 5′ (5′-TAATGTGTACATTGTCGGCCTC (17365′) (SEQ ID NO:61) and 5′-GCAATGTAACATCAGAGATTTTGAGACACAACGTGGCTTTCCACAATTCCCCGCACC GTC (1736kanpr1)) (SEQ ID NO:62) and 3′ (5′-AGGCTAATAAGCACAAATGGGA (17363′) (SEQ ID NO:63) and 5′-GGTATGAGTCAGCAACACCTTCTTCACGAGGCAGACCTCAGC GGAATTGGTTTAGGTTATCCC (1736kanpr2)) (SEQ ID NO:64) ends of the slr1736 ORF. The 1736kanpr1 and 1736kanpr2 oligos contained 20 bp of homology to the slr1736 ORF with an additional 40 bp of sequence homology to the ends of the kanamycin resistance cassette. Separate PCR steps were completed with these oligos and the products were gel purified and combined with the kanamycin resistance gene from puc4K (Pharmacia) that had been digested with HincII and gel purified away from the vector backbone. The combined fragments were allowed to assemble without oligos under the following conditions: 94° C. for 1 min, 55° C. for 1 min, 72° C. for 1 min plus 5 seconds per cycle for 40 cycles using pfu polymerase in 100 ul reaction volume (Zhao, H and Arnold (1997) Nucleic Acids Res. 25(6):1307-1308). One microliter or five microliters of this assembly reaction was then amplified using 5′ and 3′ oligos nested within the ends of the ORF fragment, so that the resulting product contained 100-200 bp of the 5′ end of the Synechocystis gene to be knocked out, the kanamycin resistance cassette, and 100-200 bp of the 3′ end of the gene to be knocked out. This PCR product was then cloned into the vector pGemT easy (Promega) to create the construct pMON21681 and used for Synechocystis transformation.

[0143] Primers were also synthesized for the preparation of Synechocystis knockout constructs for the other sequences using the same method as described above, with the following primers. The ubiA 5′ sequence was amplified using the primers 5′- GGATCCATGGTT GCCCAAACCCCATC (SEQ ID NO:65) and 5′-GCAATGTAACATCAGAGA TTTTGAGACACAACGTGGCTTTGGGTAAGCAACAATGACCGGC (SEQ ID NO:66). The 3′ region was amplified using the synthetic oligonucleotide primers 5′-GAATTCTCAAAGCCAGCCCAGTAAC (SEQ ID NO:67) and 5′-GGTATGAGTC AGCAACACCTTCTTCACGAGGCAGACCTCAGCGGGTGCGAAAAGGGTTTTCCC (SEQ ID NO:68). The amplification products were combined with the kanamycin resistance gene from puc4K (Pharmacia) that had been digested with HincII and gel purified away from the vector backbone. The annealed fragment was amplified using 5′ and 3′ oligos nested within the ends of the ORF fragment (5′-CCAGTGGTTTAGGCTGTGTGGTC (SEQ ID NO:69) and 5′-CTGAGTTGGATGTATTGGATC (SEQ ID NO:70)), so that the resulting product contained 100-200 bp of the 5′ end of the Synechocystis gene to be knocked out, the kanamycin resistance cassette, and 100-200 bp of the 3′ end of the gene to be knocked out. This PCR product was then cloned into the vector pGemT easy (Promega) to create the construct pMON21682 and used for Synechocystis transformation.

[0144] Primers were also synthesized for the preparation of Synechocystis knockout constructs for the other sequences using the same method as described above, with the following primers. The sl11899 5′ sequence was amplified using the primers 5′-GGATCCATGGTTACTT CGACAAAAATCC (SEQ ID NO:71) and 5′-GCAATGTAACATCAGAG ATTTTGAGACACAACGTGGCTTTGCTAGGCAACCGCTTAGTAC (SEQ ID NO:72). The 3′ region was amplified using the synthetic oligonucleotide primers 5′-GAATTCTTAACCCAACAGTAAAGTTCCC (SEQ ID NO:73) and 5′-GGTATGAGTCAGC AACACCTTCTTCACGAGGCAGACCTCAGCGCCGGCATTGTCTTTTACATG (SEQ ID NO:74). The amplification products were combined with the kanamycin resistance gene from puc4K (Pharmacia) that had been digested with HincII and gel purified away from the vector backbone. The annealed fragment was amplified using 5′ and 3′ oligos nested within the ends of the ORF fragment (5′-GGAACCCTTGCAGCCGCTTC (SEQ ID NO:75) and 5′-GTATGCCCAACTGGTGCAGAGG (SEQ ID NO:76)), so that the resulting product contained 100-200 bp of the 5′ end of the Synechocystis gene to be knocked out, the kanamycin resistance cassette, and 100-200 bp of the 3′ end of the gene to be knocked out. This PCR product was then cloned into the vector pGemT easy (Promega) to create the construct pMON21679 and used for Synechocystis transformation.

[0145] Primers were also synthesized for the preparation of Synechocystis knockout constructs for the other sequences using the same method as described above, with the following primers. The slr0056 5′ sequence was amplified using the primers 5′-GGATCCATGTCTGACACACAAAATACCG (SEQ ID NO:77) and 5′-GCAATGTAACATCAGAGATTTTGAGACACAACGTGGCTTTCGCCAATACCAGCCACC AACAG (SEQ ID NO:78). The 3′ region was amplified using the synthetic oligonucleotide primers 5′-GAATTCTCAAAT CCCCGCATGGCCTAG (SEQ ID NO:79) and 5′-GGTATGAGTCAGCAACACCTTCTTCACGAGGCAGACCTCAGCGGCCTACGGCTTGGA CGTGTGGG (SEQ ID NO:80). The amplification products were combined with the kanamycin resistance gene from puc4K (Pharmacia) that had been digested with HincII and gel purified away from the vector backbone. The annealed fragment was amplified using 5′ and 3′ oligos nested within the ends of the ORF fragment (5′-CACTTGGATTCCCCTGATCTG (SEQ ID NO:81) and 5′-GCAATACCCGCTTGGAAAACG (SEQ ID NO:82)), so that the resulting product contained 100-200 bp of the 5′ end of the Synechocystis gene to be knocked out, the kanamycin resistance cassette, and 100-200 bp of the 3′ end of the gene to be knocked out. This PCR product was then cloned into the vector pGemT easy (Promega) to create the construct pMON21677 and used for Synechocystis transformation.

[0146] Primers were also synthesized for the preparation of Synechocystis knockout constructs for the other sequences using the same method as described above, with the following primers. The slr1518 5′ sequence was amplified using the primers 5′-GGATCCATGACCGAAT CTTCGCCCCTAGC (SEQ ID NO:83) and 5′-GCAATGTAACATCAGAGATTTTGA GACACAACGTGGC TTTCAATCCTAGGTAGCCGAGGCG (SEQ ID NO:84). The 3′ region was amplified using the synthetic oligonucleotide primers 5′-GAATTCTTAGCCCAGGCC AGCCCAGCC (SEQ ID NO:85)and 5′-GGTATGAGTCAGCAACACCTTCTTCACGA GGCAGACCTCAGCGGGGAATTGATTTGTTTAATTACC (SEQ ID NO:86). The amplification products were combined with the kanamycin resistance gene from puc4K (Pharmacia) that had been digested with HincII and gel purified away from the vector backbone. The annealed fragment was amplified using 5′ and 3′ oligos nested within the ends of the ORF fragment (5′-GCGATCGCCATTATCGCTTGG (SEQ ID NO:87) and 5′-GCAGACTGGCAATTATCAGTAACG (SEQ ID NO:88)), so that the resulting product contained 100-200 bp of the 5′ end of the Synechocystis gene to be knocked out, the kanamycin resistance cassette, and 100-200 bp of the 3′ end of the gene to be knocked out. This PCR product was then cloned into the vector pGemT easy (Promega) to create the construct pMON21680 and used for Synechocystis transformation.

[0147] B. Transformation of Synechocystis

[0148] Cells of Synechocystis 6803 were grown to a density of approximately 2×10⁸ cells per ml and harvested by centrifugation. The cell pellet was re-suspended in fresh BG-11 medium (ATCC Medium 616) at a density of 1×10⁹ cells per ml and used immediately for transformation. One-hundred microliters of these cells were mixed with 5 ul of mini prep DNA and incubated with light at 30 C. for 4 hours. This mixture was then plated onto nylon filters resting on BG-11 agar supplemented with TES pH8 and allowed to grow for 12-18 hours. The filters were then transferred to BG-11 agar+TES+5 ug/ml kanamycin and allowed to grow until colonies appeared within 7-10 days (Packer and Glazer, 1988). Colonies were then picked into BG-11 liquid media containing 5 ug/ml kanamycin and allowed to grow for 5 days. These cells were then transferred to Bg-11 media containing 10 ug/ml kanamycin and allowed to grow for 5 days and then transferred to Bg-11+kanamycin at 25 ug/ml and allowed to grow for 5 days. Cells were then harvested for PCR analysis to determine the presence of a disrupted ORF and also for HPLC analysis to determine if the disruption had any effect on tocopherol levels.

[0149] PCR analysis of the Synechocystis isolates for slr1736 and sl11899 showed complete segregation of the mutant genome, meaning no copies of the wild type genome could be detected in these strains. This suggests that function of the native gene is not essential for cell function. HPLC analysis of these same isolates showed that the sll1899 strain had no detectable reduction in tocopherol levels. However, the strain carrying the knockout for slr1736 produced no detectable levels of tocopherol.

[0150] The amino acid sequences for the Synechocystis knockouts are compared using ClustalW, and are provided in Table 3 below. Provided are the percent identities, percent similarity, and the percent gap. The alignment of the sequences is provided in FIG. 21. TABLE 3 Slr1736 slr0926 sll1899 slr0056 slr1518 slr1736 % identity 14 12 18 11 % similar 29 30 34 26 % gap 8 7 10 5 slr0926 % identity 20 19 14 % similar 39 32 28 % gap 7 9 4 sll1899 % identity 17 13 % similar 29 29 % gap 12 9 slr0056 % identity 15 % similar 31 % gap 8 slr1518 % identity % similar % gap

[0151] Amino acid sequence comparisons are performed using various Arabidopsis prenyltransferase sequences and the Synechocystis sequences. The comparisons are presented in Table 4 below. Provided are the percent identities, percent similarity, and the percent gap. The alignment of the sequences is provided in FIG. 22. TABLE 4 ATPT2 slr1736 ATPT3 slr0926 ATPT4 sll1899 ATPT12 slr0056 ATPT8 slr1518 ATPT2 29 9 9 8 8 12 9 7 9 46 23 21 20 20 28 23 21 20 27 13 28 23 29 11 24 25 24 slr1736 9 13 8 12 13 15 8 10 19 28 19 28 26 33 21 26 34 12 34 15 26 10 12 10 ATPT3 23 11 14 13 10 5 11 36 26 26 26 21 14 22 29 21 31 16 30 30 30 slr0926 12 20 17 20 11 14 24 37 28 33 24 29 33 12 25 10 11 9 ATPT4 18 11 8 6 7 33 23 18 16 19 28 19 32 32 33 sll1899 13 17 10 12 24 30 23 26 27 13 10 11 ATPT12 52 8 11 66 19 26 18 25 23 slr0056 9 13 23 32 10 8 ATPT8 7 23 7 slr1518

[0152] 4B. Preparation of the slr1737 Knockout

[0153] The Synechocystis sp. 6803 slr1737 knockout was constructed by the following method. The GPS™-1 Genome Priming System (New England Biolabs) was used to insert, by a Tn7 Transposase system, a Kanamycin resistance cassette into slr1737. A plasmid from a Synechocystis genomic library clone containing 652 base pairs of the targeted orf (Synechcocystis genome base pairs 1324051-1324703; the predicted orf base pairs 1323672-1324763, as annotated by Cyanobase) was used as target DNA. The reaction was performed according to the manufacturers protocol. The reaction mixture was then transformed into E. coli DH10B electrocompetant cells and plated. Colonies from this transformation were then screened for transposon insertions into the target sequence by amplifying with M13 Forward and Reverse Universal primers, yielding a product of 652 base pairs plus ˜1700 base pairs, the size of the transposon kanamycin cassette, for a total fragment size of ˜2300 base pairs. After this determination, it was then necessary to determine the approximate location of the insertion within the targeted orf, as 100 base pairs of orf sequence was estimated as necessary for efficient homologous recombination in Synechocystis. This was accomplished through amplification reactions using either of the primers to the ends of the transposon, Primer S (5′ end) or N (3′end), in combination with either a M13 Forward or Reverse primer. That is, four different primer combinations were used to map each potential knockout construct: Primer S-M13 Forward, Primer S-M13 Reverse, Primer N-M13 Forward, Primer N-M13 Reverse. The construct used to transform Synechocystis and knockout slr1737 was determined to consist of a approximately 150 base pairs of slr1737 sequence on the 5′ side of the transposon insertion and approximately 500 base pairs on the 3′ side, with the transcription of the orf and kanamycin cassette in the same direction. The nucleic acid sequence of slr1737 is provided in SEQ ID NO:38 the deduced amino acid sequence is provided in SEQ ID NO:39.

[0154] Cells of Synechocystis 6803 were grown to a density of ˜2×10⁸ cells per ml and harvested by centrifugation. The cell pellet was re-suspended in fresh BG-11 medium at a density of 1×10⁹ cells per ml and used immediately for transformation. 100 ul of these cells were mixed with 5 ul of mini prep DNA and incubated with light at 30 C. for 4 hours. This mixture was then plated onto nylon filters resting on BG-11 agar supplemented with TES ph8 and allowed to grow for 12-18 hours. The filters were then transferred to BG-11 agar+TES+5 ug/ml kanamycin and allowed to grow until colonies appeared within 7-10 days (Packer and Glazer, 1988). Colonies were then picked into BG-11 liquid media containing 5 ug/ml kanamycin and allowed to grow for 5 days. These cells were then transferred to Bg-11 media containing 10 ug/ml kanamycin and allowed to grow for 5 days and then transferred to Bg-11+kanamycin at 25 ug/ml and allowed to grow for 5 days. Cells were then harvested for PCR analysis to determine the presence of a disrupted ORF and also for HPLC analysis to determine if the disruption had any effect on tocopherol levels.

[0155] PCR analysis of the Synechocystis isolates, using primers to the ends of the slr1737 orf, showed complete segregation of the mutant genome, meaning no copies of the wild type genome could be detected in these strains. This suggests that function of the native gene is not essential for cell function. HPLC analysis of the strain carrying the knockout for slr1737 produced no detectable levels of tocopherol.

[0156] 4C. Phytyl Prenyltransferase Enzyme Assays

[0157] [³H] Homogentisic acid in 0.1% H₃PO₄ (specific radioactivity 40 Ci/mmol). Phytyl pyrophosphate was synthesized as described by Joo, et al. (1973) Can J. Biochem. 51:1527. 2-methyl-6-phytylquinol and 2,3-dimethyl-5-phytylquinol were synthesized as described by Soll, et al. (1980) Phytochemistry 19:215. Homogentisic acid, α, β, δ, and γ-tocopherol, and tocol, were purchased commercially.

[0158] The wild-type strain of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was grown in BG11 medium with bubbling air at 30° C. under 50 μE.m⁻².s⁻¹ fluorescent light, and 70% relative humidity. The growth medium of slr1736 knock-out (potential PPT) strain of this organism was supplemented with 25 μg mL⁻¹ kanamycin. Cells were collected from 0.25 to 1 liter culture by centrifugation at 5000 g for 10 min and stored at −80° C.

[0159] Total membranes were isolated according to Zak′s procedures with some modifications (Zak, et al. (1999) Eur J. Biochem 261:311). Cells were broken on a French press. Before the French press treatment, the cells were incubated for 1 hour with lysozyme (0.5%, w/v) at 30° C. in a medium containing 7 mM EDTA, 5 mM NaCl and 10 mM Hepes-NaOH, pH 7.4. The spheroplasts were collected by centrifugation at 5000 g for 10 min and resuspended at 0.1-0.5 mg chlorophyll.mL⁻¹ in 20 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.8. Proper amount of protease inhibitor cocktail and DNAase I from Boehringer Mannheim were added to the solution. French press treatments were performed two to three times at 100 MPa. After breakage, the cell suspension was centrifuged for 10 min at 5000 g to pellet unbroken cells, and this was followed by centrifugation at 100 000 g for 1 hour to collect total membranes. The final pellet was resuspended in a buffer containing 50 mM Tris-HCL and 4 mM MgCl₂.

[0160] Chloroplast pellets were isolated from 250 g of spinach leaves obtained from local markets. Devined leaf sections were cut into grinding buffer (2 1/250 g leaves) containing 2 mM EDTA, 1 mM MgCl₂, 1 mM MnCl₂, 0.33 M sorbitol, 0.1% ascorbic acid, and 50 mM Hepes at pH 7.5. The leaves were homogenized for 3 sec three times in a 1-L blendor, and filtered through 4 layers of mirocloth. The supernatant was then centrifuged at 5000 g for 6 min. The chloroplast pellets were resuspended in small amount of grinding buffer (Douce, et al Methods in Chloroplast Molecular Biology, 239 (1982)

[0161] Chloroplasts in pellets can be broken in three ways. Chloroplast pellets were first aliquoted in 1 mg of chlorophyll per tube, centrifuged at 6000 rpm for 2 min in microcentrifuge, and grinding buffer was removed. Two hundred microliters of Triton X-100 buffer (0.1% Triton X-100, 50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.6 and 4 mM MgCl₂) or swelling buffer (10 mM Tris pH 7.6 and 4 mM MgCl₂) was added to each tube and incubated for ½ hour at 4° C. Then the broken chloroplast pellets were used for the assay immediately. In addition, broken chloroplasts can also be obtained by freezing in liquid nitrogen and stored at −80° C. for ½ hour, then used for the assay.

[0162] In some cases chloroplast pellets were further purified with 40%/80% percoll gradient to obtain intact chloroplasts. The intact chloroplasts were broken with swelling buffer, then either used for assay or further purified for envelope membranes with 20.5%/31.8% sucrose density gradient (Sol, et al (1980) supra). The membrane fractions were centrifuged at 100 000 g for 40 min and resuspended in 50 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.6, 4 mM MgCl₂.

[0163] Various amounts of [³H]HGA, 40 to 60 μM unlabelled HGA with specific activity in the range of 0.16 to 4 Ci/mmole were mixed with a proper amount of 1M Tris-NaOH pH 10 to adjust pH to 7.6. HGA was reduced for 4 min with a trace amount of solid NaBH₄. In addition to HGA, standard incubation mixture (final vol 1 mL) contained 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.6, 3-5 mM MgCl₂, and 100 μM phytyl pyrophosphate. The reaction was initiated by addition of Synechocystis total membranes, spinach chloroplast pellets, spinach broken chloroplasts, or spinach envelope membranes. The enzyme reaction was carried out for 2 hour at 23° C. or 30° C. in the dark or light. The reaction is stopped by freezing with liquid nitrogen, and stored at −80° C. or directly by extraction.

[0164] A constant amount of tocol was added to each assay mixture and reaction products were extracted with a 2 mL mixture of chloroform/methanol (1:2, v/v) to give a monophasic solution. NaCl solution (2 mL; 0.9%) was added with vigorous shaking. This extraction procedure was repeated three times. The organic layer containing the prenylquinones was filtered through a 20 mμ filter, evaporated under N₂, and then resuspended in 100 μL of ethanol.

[0165] The samples were mainly analyzed by Normal-Phase HPLC method (Isocratic 90% Hexane and 10% Methyl-t-butyl ether), and use a Zorbax silica column, 4.6×250 mm. The samples were also analyzed by Reversed-Phase HPLC method (Isocratic 0.1% H₃PO₄ in MeOH), and use a Vydac 201HS54 C18 column; 4.6×250 mm coupled with an All-tech C18 guard column. The amount of products were calculated based on the substrate specific radioactivity, and adjusted according to the % recovery based on the amount of internal standard.

[0166] The amount of chlorophyll was determined as described in Arnon (1949) Plant Physiol. 24:1. Amount of protein was determined by the Bradford method using gamma globulin as a standard (Bradford, (1976) Anal. Biochem. 72:248)

[0167] Results of the assay demonstrate that 2-Methyl-6-Phytylplastoquinone is produced in the Synechocystis slr1736 knockout preparations. The results of the phytyl prenyltransferase enzyme activity assay for the slr1736 knock out are presented in FIG. 23.

[0168] 4D. Complementation of the slr1736 knockout with ATPT2

[0169] In order to determine whether ATPT2 could complement the knockout of slr1736 in Synechocystis 6803 a plasmid was constructed to express the ATPT2 sequence from the TAC promoter. A vector, plasmid ps11211, was obtained from the lab of Dr. Himadri Pakrasi of Washington University, and is based on the plasmid RSF1010 which is a broad host range plasmid (Ng W. -O., Zentella R., Wang, Y., Taylor J-S. A., Pakrasi, H. B. 2000. phrA, the major photoreactivating factor in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 codes for a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer specific DNA photolyase. Arch. Microbiol. (in press)). The ATPT2 gene was isolated from the vector pCGN10817 by PCR using the following primers. ATPT2nco.pr 5′-CCATGGATTCGAGTAAAGTTGTCGC (SEQ ID NO:89); ATPT2ri.pr-5′-GAATTCACTTCAAAAAAGGTAACAG (SEQ ID NO:90). These primers will remove approximately 112 BP from the 5′ end of the ATPT2 sequence, which is thought to be the chloroplast transit peptide. These primers will also add an NcoI site at the 5′ end and an EcoRI site at the 3′ end which can be used for sub-cloning into subsequent vectors. The PCR product from using these primers and pCGN10817 was ligated into pGEM T easy and the resulting vector pMON21689 was confirmed by sequencing using the m13forward and m13reverse primers. The NcoI/EcoRI fragment from pMON21689 was then ligated with the EagI/EcoRI and EagI/NcoI fragments from psl1211 resulting in pMON21690. The plasmid pMON21690 was introduced into the slr1736 Synechocystis 6803 KO strain via conjugation. Cells of sl906 (a helper strain) and DH10B cells containing pMON21690 were grown to log phase (O.D. 600=0.4) and 1 ml was harvested by centrifugation. The cell pellets were washed twice with a sterile BG-11 solution and resuspended in 200 ul of BG-11. The following was mixed in a sterile eppendorf tube: 50 ul SL906, 50 ul DH10B cells containing pMON21690, and 100 ul of a fresh culture of the slr1736 Synechocystis 6803 KO strain (O.D. 730=0.2-0.4). The cell mixture was immediately transferred to a nitrocellulose filter resting on BG-11 and incubated for 24 hours at 30 C. and 2500 LUX (50 ue) of light. The filter was then transferred to BG-11 supplemented with 10 ug/ml Gentamycin and incubated as above for ˜5 days. When colonies appeared, they were picked and grown up in liquid BG-11+Gentamycin 10 ug/ml. (Elhai, J. and Wolk, P. 1988. Conjugal transfer of DNA to Cyanobacteria. Methods in Enzymology 167, 747-54) The liquid cultures were then assayed for tocopherols by harvesting 1 ml of culture by centrifugation, extracting with ethanol/pyrogallol, and HPLC separation. The slr1736 Synechocystis 6803 KO strain, did not contain any detectable tocopherols, while the slr1736 Synechocystis 6803 KO strain transformed with pmon21690 contained detectable alpha tocopherol. A Synechocystis 6803 strain transformed with psl1211 (vector control) produced alpha tocopherol as well.

Example 5 Transgenic Plant Analysis

[0170] Arabidopsis plants transformed with constructs for the sense or antisense expression of the ATPT proteins were analyzed by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for altered levels of total tocopherols, as well as altered levels of specific tocopherols (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocopherol).

[0171] Extracts of leaves and seeds were prepared for HPLC as follows. For seed extracts, 10 mg of seed was added to 1 g of microbeads (Biospec) in a sterile microfuge tube to which 500 ul 1% pyrogallol (Sigma Chem)/ethanol was added. The mixture was shaken for 3 minutes in a mini Beadbeater (Biospec) on “fast” speed. The extract was filtered through a 0.2 um filter into an autosampler tube. The filtered extracts were then used in HPLC analysis described below.

[0172] Leaf extracts were prepared by mixing 30-50 mg of leaf tissue with 1 g microbeads and freezing in liquid nitrogen until extraction. For extraction, 500 ul 1% pyrogallol in ethanol was added to the leaf/bead mixture and shaken for 1 minute on a Beadbeater (Biospec) on “fast” speed. The resulting mixture was centrifuged for 4 minutes at 14,000 rpm and filtered as described above prior to HPLC analysis.

[0173] HPLC was performed on a Zorbax silica HPLC column (4.6 mm×250 mm) with a fluorescent detection, an excitation at 290 nm, an emission at 336 nm, and bandpass and slits. Solvent A was hexane and solvent B was methyl-t-butyl ether. The injection volume was 20 ul, the flow rate was 1.5 ml/min, the run time was 12 min (40° C.) using the gradient (Table 5): TABLE 5 Time Solvent A Solvent B  0 min. 90% 10% 10 min. 90% 10% 11 min. 25% 75% 12 min. 90% 10%

[0174] Tocopherol standards in 1% pyrogallol/ethanol were also run for comparison (alpha tocopherol, gamma tocopherol, beta tocopherol, delta tocopherol, and tocopherol (tocol) (all from Matreya).

[0175] Standard curves for alpha, beta, delta, and gamma tocopherol were calculated using Chemstation software. The absolute amount of component x is: Absolute amount of x=Response_(x)×RF_(x)×dilution factor where Response_(x) is the area of peak x, RF_(x) is the response factor for component x (Amount_(x)/Response_(x)) and the dilution factor is 500 ul. The ng/mg tissue is found by: total ng component/mg plant tissue.

[0176] Results of the HPLC analysis of seed extracts of transgenic Arabidopsis lines containing pMON10822 for the expression of ATAT2 from the napin promoter are provided in FIG. 24.

[0177] HPLC analysis results of Arabidopsis seed tissue expressing the ATAT2 sequence from the napin promoter (pMON 10822) demonstrates an increased level of tocopherols in the seed. Total tocopherol levels are increased as much as 50 to 60% over the total tocopherol levels of non-transformed (wild-type) Arabidopsis plants (FIG. 24).

[0178] Furthermore, increases of particular tocopherols are also increased in transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing the ATAT2 nucleic acid sequence from the napin promoter. Levels of delta tocopherol in these lines are increased greater than 3 fold over the delta tocopherol levels obtained from the seeds of wild type Arabidopsis lines. Levels of gamma tocopherol in transgenic Arabidopsis lines expressing the ATAT2 nucleic acid sequence are increased as much as about 60% over the levels obtained in the seeds of non-transgenic control lines. Furthermore, levels of alpha tocopherol are increased as much as 3 fold over those obtained from non-transgenic control lines.

[0179] Results of the HPLC analysis of seed extracts of transgenic Arabidopsis lines containing pMON10803 for the expression of ATAT2 from the enhanced 35S promoter are provided in FIG. 25.

[0180] All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

[0181] Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claim.

1 94 1 1182 DNA Arabidopsis sp 1 atggagtctc tgctctctag ttcttctctt gtttccgctg ctggtgggtt ttgttggaag 60 aagcagaatc taaagctcca ctctttatca gaaatccgag ttctgcgttg tgattcgagt 120 aaagttgtcg caaaaccgaa gtttaggaac aatcttgtta ggcctgatgg tcaaggatct 180 tcattgttgt tgtatccaaa acataagtcg agatttcggg ttaatgccac tgcgggtcag 240 cctgaggctt tcgactcgaa tagcaaacag aagtctttta gagactcgtt agatgcgttt 300 tacaggtttt ctaggcctca tacagttatt ggcacagtgc ttagcatttt atctgtatct 360 ttcttagcag tagagaaggt ttctgatata tctcctttac ttttcactgg catcttggag 420 gctgttgttg cagctctcat gatgaacatt tacatagttg ggctaaatca gttgtctgat 480 gttgaaatag ataaggttaa caagccctat cttccattgg catcaggaga atattctgtt 540 aacaccggca ttgcaatagt agcttccttc tccatcatga gtttctggct tgggtggatt 600 gttggttcat ggccattgtt ctgggctctt tttgtgagtt tcatgctcgg tactgcatac 660 tctatcaatt tgccactttt acggtggaaa agatttgcat tggttgcagc aatgtgtatc 720 ctcgctgtcc gagctattat tgttcaaatc gccttttatc tacatattca gacacatgtg 780 tttggaagac caatcttgtt cactaggcct cttattttcg ccactgcgtt tatgagcttt 840 ttctctgtcg ttattgcatt gtttaaggat atacctgata tcgaagggga taagatattc 900 ggaatccgat cattctctgt aactctgggt cagaaacggg tgttttggac atgtgttaca 960 ctacttcaaa tggcttacgc tgttgcaatt ctagttggag ccacatctcc attcatatgg 1020 agcaaagtca tctcggttgt gggtcatgtt atactcgcaa caactttgtg ggctcgagct 1080 aagtccgttg atctgagtag caaaaccgaa ataacttcat gttatatgtt catatggaag 1140 ctcttttatg cagagtactt gctgttacct tttttgaagt ga 1182 2 393 PRT Arabidopsis sp 2 Met Glu Ser Leu Leu Ser Ser Ser Ser Leu Val Ser Ala Ala Gly Gly 1 5 10 15 Phe Cys Trp Lys Lys Gln Asn Leu Lys Leu His Ser Leu Ser Glu Ile 20 25 30 Arg Val Leu Arg Cys Asp Ser Ser Lys Val Val Ala Lys Pro Lys Phe 35 40 45 Arg Asn Asn Leu Val Arg Pro Asp Gly Gln Gly Ser Ser Leu Leu Leu 50 55 60 Tyr Pro Lys His Lys Ser Arg Phe Arg Val Asn Ala Thr Ala Gly Gln 65 70 75 80 Pro Glu Ala Phe Asp Ser Asn Ser Lys Gln Lys Ser Phe Arg Asp Ser 85 90 95 Leu Asp Ala Phe Tyr Arg Phe Ser Arg Pro His Thr Val Ile Gly Thr 100 105 110 Val Leu Ser Ile Leu Ser Val Ser Phe Leu Ala Val Glu Lys Val Ser 115 120 125 Asp Ile Ser Pro Leu Leu Phe Thr Gly Ile Leu Glu Ala Val Val Ala 130 135 140 Ala Leu Met Met Asn Ile Tyr Ile Val Gly Leu Asn Gln Leu Ser Asp 145 150 155 160 Val Glu Ile Asp Lys Val Asn Lys Pro Tyr Leu Pro Leu Ala Ser Gly 165 170 175 Glu Tyr Ser Val Asn Thr Gly Ile Ala Ile Val Ala Ser Phe Ser Ile 180 185 190 Met Ser Phe Trp Leu Gly Trp Ile Val Gly Ser Trp Pro Leu Phe Trp 195 200 205 Ala Leu Phe Val Ser Phe Met Leu Gly Thr Ala Tyr Ser Ile Asn Leu 210 215 220 Pro Leu Leu Arg Trp Lys Arg Phe Ala Leu Val Ala Ala Met Cys Ile 225 230 235 240 Leu Ala Val Arg Ala Ile Ile Val Gln Ile Ala Phe Tyr Leu His Ile 245 250 255 Gln Thr His Val Phe Gly Arg Pro Ile Leu Phe Thr Arg Pro Leu Ile 260 265 270 Phe Ala Thr Ala Phe Met Ser Phe Phe Ser Val Val Ile Ala Leu Phe 275 280 285 Lys Asp Ile Pro Asp Ile Glu Gly Asp Lys Ile Phe Gly Ile Arg Ser 290 295 300 Phe Ser Val Thr Leu Gly Gln Lys Arg Val Phe Trp Thr Cys Val Thr 305 310 315 320 Leu Leu Gln Met Ala Tyr Ala Val Ala Ile Leu Val Gly Ala Thr Ser 325 330 335 Pro Phe Ile Trp Ser Lys Val Ile Ser Val Val Gly His Val Ile Leu 340 345 350 Ala Thr Thr Leu Trp Ala Arg Ala Lys Ser Val Asp Leu Ser Ser Lys 355 360 365 Thr Glu Ile Thr Ser Cys Tyr Met Phe Ile Trp Lys Leu Phe Tyr Ala 370 375 380 Glu Tyr Leu Leu Leu Pro Phe Leu Lys 385 390 3 1224 DNA Arabidopsis sp 3 atggcgtttt ttgggctctc ccgtgtttca agacggttgt tgaaatcttc cgtctccgta 60 actccatctt cttcctctgc tcttttgcaa tcacaacata aatccttgtc caatcctgtg 120 actacccatt acacaaatcc tttcactaag tgttatcctt catggaatga taattaccaa 180 gtatggagta aaggaagaga attgcatcag gagaagtttt ttggtgttgg ttggaattac 240 agattaattt gtggaatgtc gtcgtcttct tcggttttgg agggaaagcc gaagaaagat 300 gataaggaga agagtgatgg tgttgttgtt aagaaagctt cttggataga tttgtattta 360 ccagaagaag ttagaggtta tgctaagctt gctcgattgg ataaacccat tggaacttgg 420 ttgcttgcgt ggccttgtat gtggtcgatt gcgttggctg ctgatcctgg aagccttcca 480 agttttaaat atatggcttt atttggttgc ggagcattac ttcttagagg tgctggttgt 540 actataaatg atctgcttga tcaggacata gatacaaagg ttgatcgtac aaaactaaga 600 cctatcgcca gtggtctttt gacaccattt caagggattg gatttctcgg gctgcagttg 660 cttttaggct tagggattct tctccaactt aacaattaca gccgtgtttt aggggcttca 720 tctttgttac ttgtcttttc ctacccactt atgaagaggt ttacattttg gcctcaagcc 780 tttttaggtt tgaccataaa ctggggagca ttgttaggat ggactgcagt taaaggaagc 840 atagcaccat ctattgtact ccctctctat ctctccggag tctgctggac ccttgtttat 900 gatactattt atgcacatca ggacaaagaa gatgatgtaa aagttggtgt taagtcaaca 960 gcccttagat tcggtgataa tacaaagctt tggttaactg gatttggcac agcatccata 1020 ggttttcttg cactttctgg attcagtgca gatctcgggt ggcaatatta cgcatcactg 1080 gccgctgcat caggacagtt aggatggcaa atagggacag ctgacttatc atctggtgct 1140 gactgcagta gaaaatttgt gtcgaacaag tggtttggtg ctattatatt tagtggagtt 1200 gtacttggaa gaagttttca ataa 1224 4 407 PRT Arabidopsis sp 4 Met Ala Phe Phe Gly Leu Ser Arg Val Ser Arg Arg Leu Leu Lys Ser 1 5 10 15 Ser Val Ser Val Thr Pro Ser Ser Ser Ser Ala Leu Leu Gln Ser Gln 20 25 30 His Lys Ser Leu Ser Asn Pro Val Thr Thr His Tyr Thr Asn Pro Phe 35 40 45 Thr Lys Cys Tyr Pro Ser Trp Asn Asp Asn Tyr Gln Val Trp Ser Lys 50 55 60 Gly Arg Glu Leu His Gln Glu Lys Phe Phe Gly Val Gly Trp Asn Tyr 65 70 75 80 Arg Leu Ile Cys Gly Met Ser Ser Ser Ser Ser Val Leu Glu Gly Lys 85 90 95 Pro Lys Lys Asp Asp Lys Glu Lys Ser Asp Gly Val Val Val Lys Lys 100 105 110 Ala Ser Trp Ile Asp Leu Tyr Leu Pro Glu Glu Val Arg Gly Tyr Ala 115 120 125 Lys Leu Ala Arg Leu Asp Lys Pro Ile Gly Thr Trp Leu Leu Ala Trp 130 135 140 Pro Cys Met Trp Ser Ile Ala Leu Ala Ala Asp Pro Gly Ser Leu Pro 145 150 155 160 Ser Phe Lys Tyr Met Ala Leu Phe Gly Cys Gly Ala Leu Leu Leu Arg 165 170 175 Gly Ala Gly Cys Thr Ile Asn Asp Leu Leu Asp Gln Asp Ile Asp Thr 180 185 190 Lys Val Asp Arg Thr Lys Leu Arg Pro Ile Ala Ser Gly Leu Leu Thr 195 200 205 Pro Phe Gln Gly Ile Gly Phe Leu Gly Leu Gln Leu Leu Leu Gly Leu 210 215 220 Gly Ile Leu Leu Gln Leu Asn Asn Tyr Ser Arg Val Leu Gly Ala Ser 225 230 235 240 Ser Leu Leu Leu Val Phe Ser Tyr Pro Leu Met Lys Arg Phe Thr Phe 245 250 255 Trp Pro Gln Ala Phe Leu Gly Leu Thr Ile Asn Trp Gly Ala Leu Leu 260 265 270 Gly Trp Thr Ala Val Lys Gly Ser Ile Ala Pro Ser Ile Val Leu Pro 275 280 285 Leu Tyr Leu Ser Gly Val Cys Trp Thr Leu Val Tyr Asp Thr Ile Tyr 290 295 300 Ala His Gln Asp Lys Glu Asp Asp Val Lys Val Gly Val Lys Ser Thr 305 310 315 320 Ala Leu Arg Phe Gly Asp Asn Thr Lys Leu Trp Leu Thr Gly Phe Gly 325 330 335 Thr Ala Ser Ile Gly Phe Leu Ala Leu Ser Gly Phe Ser Ala Asp Leu 340 345 350 Gly Trp Gln Tyr Tyr Ala Ser Leu Ala Ala Ala Ser Gly Gln Leu Gly 355 360 365 Trp Gln Ile Gly Thr Ala Asp Leu Ser Ser Gly Ala Asp Cys Ser Arg 370 375 380 Lys Phe Val Ser Asn Lys Trp Phe Gly Ala Ile Ile Phe Ser Gly Val 385 390 395 400 Val Leu Gly Arg Ser Phe Gln 405 5 1296 DNA Arabidopsis sp 5 atgtggcgaa gatctgttgt ttctcgttta tcttcaagaa tctctgtttc ttcttcgtta 60 ccaaacccta gactgattcc ttggtcccgc gaattatgtg ccgttaatag cttctcccag 120 cctccggtct cgacggaatc aactgctaag ttagggatca ctggtgttag atctgatgcc 180 aatcgagttt ttgccactgc tactgccgcc gctacagcta cagctaccac cggtgagatt 240 tcgtctagag ttgcggcttt ggctggatta gggcatcact acgctcgttg ttattgggag 300 ctttctaaag ctaaacttag tatgcttgtg gttgcaactt ctggaactgg gtatattctg 360 ggtacgggaa atgctgcaat tagcttcccg gggctttgtt acacatgtgc aggaaccatg 420 atgattgctg catctgctaa ttccttgaat cagatttttg agataagcaa tgattctaag 480 atgaaaagaa cgatgctaag gccattgcct tcaggacgta ttagtgttcc acacgctgtt 540 gcatgggcta ctattgctgg tgcttctggt gcttgtttgt tggccagcaa gactaatatg 600 ttggctgctg gacttgcatc tgccaatctt gtactttatg cgtttgttta tactccgttg 660 aagcaacttc accctatcaa tacatgggtt ggcgctgttg ttggtgctat cccacccttg 720 cttgggtggg cggcagcgtc tggtcagatt tcatacaatt cgatgattct tccagctgct 780 ctttactttt ggcagatacc tcattttatg gcccttgcac atctctgccg caatgattat 840 gcagctggag gttacaagat gttgtcactc tttgatccgt cagggaagag aatagcagca 900 gtggctctaa ggaactgctt ttacatgatc cctctcggtt tcatcgccta tgactggggg 960 ttaacctcaa gttggttttg cctcgaatca acacttctca cactagcaat cgctgcaaca 1020 gcattttcat tctaccgaga ccggaccatg cataaagcaa ggaaaatgtt ccatgccagt 1080 cttctcttcc ttcctgtttt catgtctggt cttcttctac accgtgtctc taatgataat 1140 cagcaacaac tcgtagaaga agccggatta acaaattctg tatctggtga agtcaaaact 1200 cagaggcgaa agaaacgtgt ggctcaacct ccggtggctt atgcctctgc tgcaccgttt 1260 cctttcctcc cagctccttc cttctactct ccatga 1296 6 431 PRT Arabidopsis sp 6 Met Trp Arg Arg Ser Val Val Tyr Arg Phe Ser Ser Arg Ile Ser Val 1 5 10 15 Ser Ser Ser Leu Pro Asn Pro Arg Leu Ile Pro Trp Ser Arg Glu Leu 20 25 30 Cys Ala Val Asn Ser Phe Ser Gln Pro Pro Val Ser Thr Glu Ser Thr 35 40 45 Ala Lys Leu Gly Ile Thr Gly Val Arg Ser Asp Ala Asn Arg Val Phe 50 55 60 Ala Thr Ala Thr Ala Ala Ala Thr Ala Thr Ala Thr Thr Gly Glu Ile 65 70 75 80 Ser Ser Arg Val Ala Ala Leu Ala Gly Leu Gly His His Tyr Ala Arg 85 90 95 Cys Tyr Trp Glu Leu Ser Lys Ala Lys Leu Ser Met Leu Val Val Ala 100 105 110 Thr Ser Gly Thr Gly Tyr Ile Leu Gly Thr Gly Asn Ala Ala Ile Ser 115 120 125 Phe Pro Gly Leu Cys Tyr Thr Cys Ala Gly Thr Met Met Ile Ala Ala 130 135 140 Ser Ala Asn Ser Leu Asn Gln Ile Phe Glu Ile Ser Asn Asp Ser Lys 145 150 155 160 Met Lys Arg Thr Met Leu Arg Pro Leu Pro Ser Gly Arg Ile Ser Val 165 170 175 Pro His Ala Val Ala Trp Ala Thr Ile Ala Gly Ala Ser Gly Ala Cys 180 185 190 Leu Leu Ala Ser Lys Thr Asn Met Leu Ala Ala Gly Leu Ala Ser Ala 195 200 205 Asn Leu Val Leu Tyr Ala Phe Val Tyr Thr Pro Leu Lys Gln Leu His 210 215 220 Pro Ile Asn Thr Trp Val Gly Ala Val Val Gly Ala Ile Pro Pro Leu 225 230 235 240 Leu Gly Trp Ala Ala Ala Ser Gly Gln Ile Ser Tyr Asn Ser Met Ile 245 250 255 Leu Pro Ala Ala Leu Tyr Phe Trp Gln Ile Pro His Phe Met Ala Leu 260 265 270 Ala His Leu Cys Arg Asn Asp Tyr Ala Ala Gly Gly Tyr Lys Met Leu 275 280 285 Ser Leu Phe Asp Pro Ser Gly Lys Arg Ile Ala Ala Val Ala Leu Arg 290 295 300 Asn Cys Phe Tyr Met Ile Pro Leu Gly Phe Ile Ala Tyr Asp Trp Gly 305 310 315 320 Leu Thr Ser Ser Trp Phe Cys Leu Glu Ser Thr Leu Leu Thr Leu Ala 325 330 335 Ile Ala Ala Thr Ala Phe Ser Phe Tyr Arg Asp Arg Thr Met His Lys 340 345 350 Ala Arg Lys Met Phe His Ala Ser Leu Leu Phe Leu Pro Val Phe Met 355 360 365 Ser Gly Leu Leu Leu His Arg Val Ser Asn Asp Asn Gln Gln Gln Leu 370 375 380 Val Glu Glu Ala Gly Leu Thr Asn Ser Val Ser Gly Glu Val Lys Thr 385 390 395 400 Gln Arg Arg Lys Lys Arg Val Ala Gln Pro Pro Val Ala Tyr Ala Ser 405 410 415 Ala Ala Pro Phe Pro Phe Leu Pro Ala Pro Ser Phe Tyr Ser Pro 420 425 430 7 479 DNA Arabidopsis sp 7 ggaaactccc ggagcacctg tttgcaggta ccgctaacct taatcgataa tttatttctc 60 ttgtcaggaa ttatgtaagt ctggtggaag gctcgcatac catttttgca ttgcctttcg 120 ctatgatcgg gtttactttg ggtgtgatga gaccaggcgt ggctttatgg tatggcgaaa 180 acccattttt atccaatgct gcattccctc ccgatgattc gttctttcat tcctatacag 240 gtatcatgct gataaaactg ttactggtac tggtttgtat ggtatcagca agaagcgcgg 300 cgatggcgtt taaccggtat ctcgacaggc attttgacgc gaagaacccg cgtactgcca 360 tccgtgaaat acctgcgggc gtcatatctg ccaacagtgc gctggtgttt acgataggct 420 gctgcgtggt attctgggtg gcctgttatt tcattaacac gatctgtttt tacctggcg 479 8 551 DNA Arabidopsis sp misc_feature (1)...(551) n = A,T,C or G 8 ttgtggctta caccttaatg agcatacgcc agnccattac ggctcgttaa tcggcgccat 60 ngccggngct gntgcaccgg tagtgggcta ctgcgccgtg accaatcagc ttgatctagc 120 ggctcttatt ctgtttttaa ttttactgtt ctggcaaatg ccgcattttt acgcgatttc 180 cattttcagg ctaaaagact tttcagcggc ctgtattccg gtgctgccca tcattaaaga 240 cctgcgctat accaaaatca gcatgctggt ttacgtgggc ttatttacac tggctgctat 300 catgccggcc ctcttagggt atgccggttg gatttatggg atagcggcct taattttagg 360 cttgtattgg ctttatattg ccatacaagg attcaagacc gccgatgatc aaaaatggtc 420 tcgtaagatg tttggatctt cgattttaat cattaccctc ttgtcggtaa tgatgcttgt 480 ttaaacttac tgcctcctga agtttatata tcgataattt cagcttaagg aggcttagtg 540 gttaattcaa t 551 9 297 PRT Arabidopsis sp 9 Met Val Leu Ala Glu Val Pro Lys Leu Ala Ser Ala Ala Glu Tyr Phe 1 5 10 15 Phe Lys Arg Gly Val Gln Gly Lys Gln Phe Arg Ser Thr Ile Leu Leu 20 25 30 Leu Met Ala Thr Ala Leu Asn Val Arg Val Pro Glu Ala Leu Ile Gly 35 40 45 Glu Ser Thr Asp Ile Val Thr Ser Glu Leu Arg Val Arg Gln Arg Gly 50 55 60 Ile Ala Glu Ile Thr Glu Met Ile His Val Ala Ser Leu Leu His Asp 65 70 75 80 Asp Val Leu Asp Asp Ala Asp Thr Arg Arg Gly Val Gly Ser Leu Asn 85 90 95 Val Val Met Gly Asn Lys Val Val Ala Leu Leu Ala Thr Ala Val Glu 100 105 110 His Leu Val Thr Gly Glu Thr Met Glu Ile Thr Ser Ser Thr Glu Gln 115 120 125 Arg Tyr Ser Met Asp Tyr Tyr Met Gln Lys Thr Tyr Tyr Lys Thr Ala 130 135 140 Ser Leu Ile Ser Asn Ser Cys Lys Ala Val Ala Val Leu Thr Gly Gln 145 150 155 160 Thr Ala Glu Val Ala Val Leu Ala Phe Glu Tyr Gly Arg Asn Leu Gly 165 170 175 Leu Ala Phe Gln Leu Ile Asp Asp Ile Leu Asp Phe Thr Gly Thr Ser 180 185 190 Ala Ser Leu Gly Lys Gly Ser Leu Ser Asp Ile Arg His Gly Val Ile 195 200 205 Thr Ala Pro Ile Leu Phe Ala Met Glu Glu Phe Pro Gln Leu Arg Glu 210 215 220 Val Val Asp Gln Val Glu Lys Asp Pro Arg Asn Val Asp Ile Ala Leu 225 230 235 240 Glu Tyr Leu Gly Lys Ser Lys Gly Ile Gln Arg Ala Arg Glu Leu Ala 245 250 255 Met Glu His Ala Asn Leu Ala Ala Ala Ala Ile Gly Ser Leu Pro Glu 260 265 270 Thr Asp Asn Glu Asp Val Lys Arg Ser Arg Arg Ala Leu Ile Asp Leu 275 280 285 Thr His Arg Val Ile Thr Arg Asn Lys 290 295 10 561 DNA Arabidopsis sp 10 aagcgcatcc gtcctcttct acgattgccg ccagccgcat gtatggctgc ataaccgacc 60 gcccctatcc gctcgcggcc gcggtcgaat tcattcacac cgcgacgctg ctgcatgacg 120 acgtcgtcga tgaaagcgat ttgcgccgcg gccgcgaaag cgcgcataag gttttcggca 180 atcaggcgag cgtgctcgtc ggcgatttcc ttttctcccg cgccttccag ctgatggtgg 240 aagacggctc gctcgacgcg ctgcgcattc tctcggatgc ctccgccgtg atcgcgcagg 300 gcgaagtgat gcagctcggc accgcgcgca atcttgaaac caatatgagc cagtatctcg 360 atgtgatcag cgcgaagacc gccgcgctct ttgccgccgc ctgcgaaatc ggcccggtga 420 tggcgaacgc gaaggcggaa gatgctgccg cgatgtgcga atacggcatg aatctcggta 480 tcgccttcca gatcatcgac gaccttctcg attacggcac cggcggccac gccgagcttg 540 gcaagaacac gggcgacgat t 561 11 966 DNA Arabidopsis sp 11 atggtacttg ccgaggttcc aaagcttgcc tctgctgctg agtacttctt caaaaggggt 60 gtgcaaggaa aacagtttcg ttcaactatt ttgctgctga tggcgacagc tctgaatgta 120 cgcgttccag aagcattgat tggggaatca acagatatag tcacatcaga attacgcgta 180 aggcaacggg gtattgctga aatcactgaa atgatacacg tcgcaagtct actgcacgat 240 gatgtcttgg atgatgccga tacaaggcgt ggtgttggtt ccttaaatgt tgtaatgggt 300 aacaagatgt cggtattagc aggagacttc ttgctctccc gggcttgtgg ggctctcgct 360 gctttaaaga acacagaggt tgtagcatta cttgcaactg ctgtagaaca tcttgttacc 420 ggtgaaacca tggaaataac tagttcaacc gagcagcgtt atagtatgga ctactacatg 480 cagaagacat attataagac agcatcgcta atctctaaca gctgcaaagc tgttgccgtt 540 ctcactggac aaacagcaga agttgccgtg ttagcttttg agtatgggag gaatctgggt 600 ttagcattcc aattaataga cgacattctt gatttcacgg gcacatctgc ctctctcgga 660 aagggatcgt tgtcagatat tcgccatgga gtcataacag ccccaatcct ctttgccatg 720 gaagagtttc ctcaactacg cgaagttgtt gatcaagttg aaaaagatcc taggaatgtt 780 gacattgctt tagagtatct tgggaagagc aagggaatac agagggcaag agaattagcc 840 atggaacatg cgaatctagc agcagctgca atcgggtctc tacctgaaac agacaatgaa 900 gatgtcaaaa gatcgaggcg ggcacttatt gacttgaccc atagagtcat caccagaaac 960 aagtga 966 12 321 PRT Arabidopsis sp 12 Met Val Leu Ala Glu Val Pro Lys Leu Ala Ser Ala Ala Glu Tyr Phe 1 5 10 15 Phe Lys Arg Gly Val Gln Gly Lys Gln Phe Arg Ser Thr Ile Leu Leu 20 25 30 Leu Met Ala Thr Ala Leu Asn Val Arg Val Pro Glu Ala Leu Ile Gly 35 40 45 Glu Ser Thr Asp Ile Val Thr Ser Glu Leu Arg Val Arg Gln Arg Gly 50 55 60 Ile Ala Glu Ile Thr Glu Met Ile His Val Ala Ser Leu Leu His Asp 65 70 75 80 Asp Val Leu Asp Asp Ala Asp Thr Arg Arg Gly Val Gly Ser Leu Asn 85 90 95 Val Val Met Gly Asn Lys Met Ser Val Leu Ala Gly Asp Phe Leu Leu 100 105 110 Ser Arg Ala Cys Gly Ala Leu Ala Ala Leu Lys Asn Thr Glu Val Val 115 120 125 Ala Leu Leu Ala Thr Ala Val Glu His Leu Val Thr Gly Glu Thr Met 130 135 140 Glu Ile Thr Ser Ser Thr Glu Gln Arg Tyr Ser Met Asp Tyr Tyr Met 145 150 155 160 Gln Lys Thr Tyr Tyr Lys Thr Ala Ser Leu Ile Ser Asn Ser Cys Lys 165 170 175 Ala Val Ala Val Leu Thr Gly Gln Thr Ala Glu Val Ala Val Leu Ala 180 185 190 Phe Glu Tyr Gly Arg Asn Leu Gly Leu Ala Phe Gln Leu Ile Asp Asp 195 200 205 Ile Leu Asp Phe Thr Gly Thr Ser Ala Ser Leu Gly Lys Gly Ser Leu 210 215 220 Ser Asp Ile Arg His Gly Val Ile Thr Ala Pro Ile Leu Phe Ala Met 225 230 235 240 Glu Glu Phe Pro Gln Leu Arg Glu Val Val Asp Gln Val Glu Lys Asp 245 250 255 Pro Arg Asn Val Asp Ile Ala Leu Glu Tyr Leu Gly Lys Ser Lys Gly 260 265 270 Ile Gln Arg Ala Arg Glu Leu Ala Met Glu His Ala Asn Leu Ala Ala 275 280 285 Ala Ala Ile Gly Ser Leu Pro Glu Thr Asp Asn Glu Asp Val Lys Arg 290 295 300 Ser Arg Arg Ala Leu Ile Asp Leu Thr His Arg Val Ile Thr Arg Asn 305 310 315 320 Lys 13 621 DNA Arabidopsis sp 13 gctttctcct ttgctaattc ttgagctttc ttgatcccac cgcgatttct aactatttca 60 atcgcttctt caagcgatcc aggctcacaa aactcagact caatgatctc tcttagcctt 120 ggctcattct ctagcgcgaa gatcactggc gccgttatgt tacctttggc taagtcatta 180 gctgcaggct tacctaactg ctctgtggac tgagtgaagt ccagaatgtc atcaactact 240 tgaaaagata aaccgagatt cttcccgaac tgatacattt gctctgcgac cttgctttcg 300 actttactga aaattgctgc tcctttggtg cttgcagcta ctaatgaagc tgtcttgtag 360 taactcttta gcatgtagtc atcaagcttg acatcacaat cgaataaact cgatgcttgc 420 tttatctcac cgcttgcaaa atctttgatc acctgcaaaa agataaatca agattcagac 480 caaatgttct ttgtattgag tagcttcatc taatctcaga aaggaatatt acctgactta 540 tgagcttaat gacttcaagg ttttcgagat ttgtaagtac catgatgctt gagcaacatg 600 aaatccccag ctaatacagc t 621 14 741 DNA Arabidopsis sp 14 ggtgagtttt gttaatagtt atgagattca tctatttttg tcataaaatt gtttggtttg 60 gtttaaactc tgtgtataat tgcaggaaag gaaacagttc atgagctttt cggcacaaga 120 gtagcggtgc tagctggaga tttcatgttt gctcaagcgt catggtactt agcaaatctc 180 gagaatcttg aagttattaa gctcatcagt caggtactta gttactctta cattgttttt 240 ctatgaggtt gagctatgaa tctcatttcg ttgaataatg ctgtgcctca aacttttttt 300 catgttttca ggtgatcaaa gactttgcaa gcggagagat aaagcaggcg tccagcttat 360 ttgactgcga caccaagctc gacgagtact tactcaaaag tttctacaag acagcctctt 420 tagtggctgc gagcaccaaa ggagctgcca ttttcagcag agttgagcct gatgtgacag 480 aacaaatgta cgagtttggg aagaatctcg gtctctcttt ccagatagtt gatgatattt 540 tggatttcac tcagtcgaca gagcagctcg ggaagccagc agggagtgat ttggctaaag 600 gtaacttaac agcacctgtg attttcgctc tggagaggga gccaaggcta agagagatca 660 ttgagtcaaa gttctgtgag gcgggttctc tggaagaagc gattgaagcg gtgacaaaag 720 gtggggggat taagagagca c 741 15 1087 DNA Arabidopsis sp 15 cctcttcagc caatccagag gaagaagaga caacttttta tctttcgtca agagtctccg 60 aaaacgcacg gttttatgct ctctcttctg ccctcacctc acaagacgca gggcacatga 120 ttcaaccaga gggaaaaagc aacgataaca actctgcttt tgatttcaag ctgtatatga 180 tccgcaaagc cgagtctgta aatgcggctc tcgacgtttc cgtaccgctt ctgaaacccc 240 ttacgatcca agaagcggtc aggtactctt tgctagccgg cggaaaacgt gtgaggcctc 300 tgctctgcat tgccgcttgt gagcttgtgg ggggcgacga ggctactgcc atgtcagccg 360 cttgcgcggt cgagatgatc cacacaagct ctctcattca tgacgatctt ccgtgcatgg 420 acaatgccga cctccgtaga ggcaagccca ccaatcacaa ggtatgttgt ttaattatat 480 gaaggctcag agataatgct gaactagtgt tgaaccaatt tttgctcaaa caaggtatat 540 ggagaagaca tggcggtttt ggcaggtgat gcactccttg cattggcgtt tgagcacatg 600 acggttgtgt cgagtgggtt ggtcgctccc gagaagatga ttcgcgccgt ggttgagctg 660 gccagggcca tagggactac agggctagtt gctggacaaa tgatagacct agccagcgaa 720 agactgaatc cagacaaggt tggattggag catctagagt tcatccatct ccacaaaacg 780 gcggcattgt tggaggcagc ggcagtttta ggggttataa tgggaggtgg aacagaggaa 840 gaaatcgaaa agcttagaaa gtatgctagg tgtattggac tactgtttca ggttgttgat 900 gacattctcg acgtaacaaa atctactgag gaattgggta agacagccgg aaaagacgta 960 atggccggaa agctgacgta tccaaggctg ataggtttgg agggatccag ggaagttgca 1020 gagcacctga ggagagaagc agaggaaaag cttaaagggt ttgatccaag tcaggcggcg 1080 cctctgg 1087 16 1164 DNA Arabidopsis sp 16 atgacttcga ttctcaacac tgtctccacc atccactctt ccagagttac ctccgtcgat 60 cgagtcggag tcctctctct tcggaattcg gattccgttg agttcactcg ccggcgttct 120 ggtttctcga cgttgatcta cgaatcaccc gggcggagat ttgttgtgcg tgcggcggag 180 actgatactg ataaagttaa atctcagaca cctgacaagg caccagccgg tggttcaagc 240 attaaccagc ttctcggtat caaaggagca tctcaagaaa ctaataaatg gaagattcgt 300 cttcagctta caaaaccagt cacttggcct ccactggttt ggggagtcgt ctgtggtgct 360 gctgcttcag ggaactttca ttggacccca gaggatgttg ctaagtcgat tctttgcatg 420 atgatgtctg gtccttgtct tactggctat acacagacaa tcaacgactg gtatgataga 480 gatatcgacg caattaatga gccatatcgt ccaattccat ctggagcaat atcagagcca 540 gaggttatta cacaagtctg ggtgctatta ttgggaggtc ttggtattgc tggaatatta 600 gatgtgtggg cagggcatac cactcccact gtcttctatc ttgctttggg aggatcattg 660 ctatcttata tatactctgc tccacctctt aagctaaaac aaaatggatg ggttggaaat 720 tttgcacttg gagcaagcta tattagtttg ccatggtggg ctggccaagc attgtttggc 780 actcttacgc cagatgttgt tgttctaaca ctcttgtaca gcatagctgg gttaggaata 840 gccattgtta acgacttcaa aagtgttgaa ggagatagag cattaggact tcagtctctc 900 ccagtagctt ttggcaccga aactgcaaaa tggatatgcg ttggtgctat agacattact 960 cagctttctg ttgccggata tctattagca tctgggaaac cttattatgc gttggcgttg 1020 gttgctttga tcattcctca gattgtgttc cagtttaaat actttctcaa ggaccctgtc 1080 aaatacgacg tcaagtacca ggcaagcgcg cagccattct tggtgctcgg aatatttgta 1140 acggcattag catcgcaaca ctga 1164 17 387 PRT Arabidopsis sp 17 Met Thr Ser Ile Leu Asn Thr Val Ser Thr Ile His Ser Ser Arg Val 1 5 10 15 Thr Ser Val Asp Arg Val Gly Val Leu Ser Leu Arg Asn Ser Asp Ser 20 25 30 Val Glu Phe Thr Arg Arg Arg Ser Gly Phe Ser Thr Leu Ile Tyr Glu 35 40 45 Ser Pro Gly Arg Arg Phe Val Val Arg Ala Ala Glu Thr Asp Thr Asp 50 55 60 Lys Val Lys Ser Gln Thr Pro Asp Lys Ala Pro Ala Gly Gly Ser Ser 65 70 75 80 Ile Asn Gln Leu Leu Gly Ile Lys Gly Ala Ser Gln Glu Thr Asn Lys 85 90 95 Trp Lys Ile Arg Leu Gln Leu Thr Lys Pro Val Thr Trp Pro Pro Leu 100 105 110 Val Trp Gly Val Val Cys Gly Ala Ala Ala Ser Gly Asn Phe His Trp 115 120 125 Thr Pro Glu Asp Val Ala Lys Ser Ile Leu Cys Met Met Met Ser Gly 130 135 140 Pro Cys Leu Thr Gly Tyr Thr Gln Thr Ile Asn Asp Trp Tyr Asp Arg 145 150 155 160 Asp Ile Asp Ala Ile Asn Glu Pro Tyr Arg Pro Ile Pro Ser Gly Ala 165 170 175 Ile Ser Glu Pro Glu Val Ile Thr Gln Val Trp Val Leu Leu Leu Gly 180 185 190 Gly Leu Gly Ile Ala Gly Ile Leu Asp Val Trp Ala Gly His Thr Thr 195 200 205 Pro Thr Val Phe Tyr Leu Ala Leu Gly Gly Ser Leu Leu Ser Tyr Ile 210 215 220 Tyr Ser Ala Pro Pro Leu Lys Leu Lys Gln Asn Gly Trp Val Gly Asn 225 230 235 240 Phe Ala Leu Gly Ala Ser Tyr Ile Ser Leu Pro Trp Trp Ala Gly Gln 245 250 255 Ala Leu Phe Gly Thr Leu Thr Pro Asp Val Val Val Leu Thr Leu Leu 260 265 270 Tyr Ser Ile Ala Gly Leu Gly Ile Ala Ile Val Asn Asp Phe Lys Ser 275 280 285 Val Glu Gly Asp Arg Ala Leu Gly Leu Gln Ser Leu Pro Val Ala Phe 290 295 300 Gly Thr Glu Thr Ala Lys Trp Ile Cys Val Gly Ala Ile Asp Ile Thr 305 310 315 320 Gln Leu Ser Val Ala Gly Tyr Leu Leu Ala Ser Gly Lys Pro Tyr Tyr 325 330 335 Ala Leu Ala Leu Val Ala Leu Ile Ile Pro Gln Ile Val Phe Gln Phe 340 345 350 Lys Tyr Phe Leu Lys Asp Pro Val Lys Tyr Asp Val Lys Tyr Gln Ala 355 360 365 Ser Ala Gln Pro Phe Leu Val Leu Gly Ile Phe Val Thr Ala Leu Ala 370 375 380 Ser Gln His 385 18 981 DNA Arabidopsis sp 18 atgttgttta gtggttcagc gatcccatta agcagcttct gctctcttcc ggagaaaccc 60 cacactcttc ctatgaaact ctctcccgct gcaatccgat cttcatcctc atctgccccg 120 gggtcgttga acttcgatct gaggacgtat tggacgactc tgatcaccga gatcaaccag 180 aagctggatg aggccatacc ggtcaagcac cctgcgggga tctacgaggc tatgagatac 240 tctgtactcg cacaaggcgc caagcgtgcc cctcctgtga tgtgtgtggc ggcctgcgag 300 ctcttcggtg gcgatcgcct cgccgctttc cccaccgcct gtgccctaga aatggtgcac 360 gcggcttcgt tgatacacga cgacctcccc tgtatggacg acgatcctgt gcgcagagga 420 aagccatcta accacactgt ctacggctct ggcatggcca ttctcgccgg tgacgccctc 480 ttcccactcg ccttccagca cattgtctcc cacacgcctc ctgaccttgt tccccgagcc 540 accatcctca gactcatcac tgagattgcc cgcactgtcg gctccactgg tatggctgca 600 ggccagtacg tcgaccttga aggaggtccc tttcctcttt cctttgttca ggagaagaaa 660 ttcggagcca tgggtgaatg ctctgccgtg tgcggtggcc tattgggcgg tgccactgag 720 gatgagctcc agagtctccg aaggtacggg agagccgtcg ggatgctgta tcaggtggtc 780 gatgacatca ccgaggacaa gaagaagagc tatgatggtg gagcagagaa gggaatgatg 840 gaaatggcgg aagagctcaa ggagaaggcg aagaaggagc ttcaagtgtt tgacaacaag 900 tatggaggag gagacacact tgttcctctc tacaccttcg ttgactacgc tgctcatcga 960 cattttcttc ttcccctctg a 981 19 245 DNA GLycine sp 19 gcaacatctg ggactgggtt tgtcttgggg agtggtagtg ctgttgatct ttcggcactt 60 tcttgcactt gcttgggtac catgatggtt gctgcatctg ctaactcttt gaatcaggtg 120 tttgagatca ataatgatgc taaaatgaag agaacaagtc gcaggccact accctcagga 180 cgcatcacaa tacctcatgc agttggctgg gcatcctctg ttggattagc tggtacggct 240 ctact 245 20 253 DNA Glycine sp 20 attggctttc caagatcatt gggttttctt gttgcattca tgaccttcta ctccttgggt 60 ttggcattgt ccaaggatat acctgacgtt gaaggagata aagagcacgg cattgattct 120 tttgcagtac gtctaggtca gaaacgggca ttttggattt gcgtttcctt ttttgaaatg 180 gctttcggag ttggtatcct ggccggagca tcatgctcac acttttggac taaaattttc 240 acgggtatgg gaa 253 21 275 DNA Glycine sp 21 tgatcttcta ctctctgggt atggcattgt ccaaggatat atctgacgtt aaaggagata 60 aagcatacgg catcgatact ttagcgatac gtttgggtca aaaatgggta ttttggattt 120 gcattatcct ttttgaaatg gcttttggag ttgccctctt ggcaggagca acatcttctt 180 acctttggat taaaattgtc acgggtctgg gacatgctat tcttgcttca attctcttgt 240 accaagccaa atctatatac ttgagcaaca aagtt 275 22 299 DNA Glycine sp misc_feature (1)...(299) n = A,T,C or G 22 ccanaatang tncatcttng aaagacaatt ggcctcttca acacacaagt ctgcatgtga 60 agaagaggcc aattgtcttt ccaagatcac ttatngtggc tattgtaatc atgaacttct 120 tctttgtggg tatggcattg gcaaaggata tacctanctg ttgaaggaga taaaatatat 180 ggcattgata cttttgcaat acgtataggt caaaaacaag tattttggat ttgtattttc 240 ctttttgaaa ggctttcgga gtttccctag tggcaggagc aacatcttct agccttggt 299 23 767 DNA Glycine sp 23 gtggaggctg tggttgctgc cctgtttatg aatatttata ttgttggttt gaatcaattg 60 tctgatgttg aaatagacaa gataaacaag ccgtatcttc cattagcatc tggggaatat 120 tcctttgaaa ctggtgtcac tattgttgca tctttttcaa ttctgagttt ttggcttggc 180 tgggttgtag gttcatggcc attattttgg gccctttttg taagctttgt gctaggaact 240 gcttattcaa tcaatgtgcc tctgttgaga tggaagaggt ttgcagtgct tgcagcgatg 300 tgcattctag ctgttcgggc agtaatagtt caacttgcat ttttccttca catgcagact 360 catgtgtaca agaggccacc tgtcttttca agaccattga tttttgctac tgcattcatg 420 agcttcttct ctgtagttat agcactgttt aaggatatac ctgacattga aggagataaa 480 gtatttggca tccaatcttt ttcagtgtgt ttaggtcaga agccggtgtt ctggacttgt 540 gttacccttc ttgaaatagc ttatggagtc gccctcctgg tgggagctgc atctccttgt 600 ctttggagca aaattttcac gggtctggga cacgctgtgc tggcttcaat tctctggttt 660 catgccaaat ctgtagattt gaaaagcaaa gcttcgataa catccttcta tatgtttatt 720 tggaagctat tttatgcaga atacttactc attccttttg ttagatg 767 24 255 PRT Glycine sp 24 Val Glu Ala Val Val Ala Ala Leu Phe Met Asn Ile Tyr Ile Val Gly 1 5 10 15 Leu Asn Gln Leu Ser Asp Val Glu Ile Asp Lys Ile Asn Lys Pro Tyr 20 25 30 Leu Pro Leu Ala Ser Gly Glu Tyr Ser Phe Glu Thr Gly Val Thr Ile 35 40 45 Val Ala Ser Phe Ser Ile Leu Ser Phe Trp Leu Gly Trp Val Val Gly 50 55 60 Ser Trp Pro Leu Phe Trp Ala Leu Phe Val Ser Phe Val Leu Gly Thr 65 70 75 80 Ala Tyr Ser Ile Asn Val Pro Leu Leu Arg Trp Lys Arg Phe Ala Val 85 90 95 Leu Ala Ala Met Cys Ile Leu Ala Val Arg Ala Val Ile Val Gln Leu 100 105 110 Ala Phe Phe Leu His Met Gln Thr His Val Tyr Lys Arg Pro Pro Val 115 120 125 Phe Ser Arg Pro Leu Ile Phe Ala Thr Ala Phe Met Ser Phe Phe Ser 130 135 140 Val Val Ile Ala Leu Phe Lys Asp Ile Pro Asp Ile Glu Gly Asp Lys 145 150 155 160 Val Phe Gly Ile Gln Ser Phe Ser Val Cys Leu Gly Gln Lys Pro Val 165 170 175 Phe Trp Thr Cys Val Thr Leu Leu Glu Ile Ala Tyr Gly Val Ala Leu 180 185 190 Leu Val Gly Ala Ala Ser Pro Cys Leu Trp Ser Lys Ile Phe Thr Gly 195 200 205 Leu Gly His Ala Val Leu Ala Ser Ile Leu Trp Phe His Ala Lys Ser 210 215 220 Val Asp Leu Lys Ser Lys Ala Ser Ile Thr Ser Phe Tyr Met Phe Ile 225 230 235 240 Trp Lys Leu Phe Tyr Ala Glu Tyr Leu Leu Ile Pro Phe Val Arg 245 250 255 25 360 DNA Zea sp misc_feature (1)...(360) n = A,T,C or G 25 ggcgtcttca cttgttctgg tcttctcgta tcccctgatg aagaggttca cattttggcc 60 tcaggcttat cttggcctga cattcaactg gggagcttta ctagggtggg ctgctattaa 120 ggaaagcata gaccctgcaa atcatccttc cattgtatac agctggtatt tgttggacgc 180 tggtgtatga tactatatat gcgcatcagg tgtttcgcta tccctacttt catattaatc 240 cttgatgaag tggccatttc atgttgtcgc ggtggtctta tacttgcata tctccatgca 300 tctcaggaca aagangatga cctgaaagta ggagtccaag tccacagctt aagatttggg 360 26 299 DNA Zea sp misc_feature (1)...(299) n = A,T,C or G 26 gatggttgca gcatctgcaa ataccctcaa ccaggtgttt gngataaaaa atgatgctaa 60 aatgaaaagg acaatgcgtg ccccctgcca tctggtcgca ttagtcctgc acatgctgcg 120 atgtgggcta caagtgttgg agttgcagga acagctttgt tggcctggaa ggctaatggc 180 ttggcagctg ggcttgcagc ttctaatctt gttctgtatg catttgtgta tacgccgttg 240 aagcaaatac accctgttaa tacatgggtt ggggcagtcg ttggtgccat cccaccact 299 27 255 DNA Zea sp misc_feature (1)...(255) n = A,T,C or G 27 anacttgcat atctccatgc ntctcaggac aaagangatg acctgaaagt aggtgtcaag 60 tccacagcat taagatttgg agatttgacc nnatactgna tcagtggctt tggcgcggca 120 tgcttcggca gcttagcact cagtggttac aatgctgacc ttggttggtg tttagtgtga 180 tgcttgagcg aagaatggta tngtttttac ttgatattga ctccagacct gaaatcatgt 240 tggacagggt ggccc 255 28 257 DNA Zea sp 28 attgaagggg ataggactct ggggcttcag tcacttcctg ttgcttttgg gatggaaact 60 gcaaaatgga tttgtgttgg agcaattgat atcactcaat tatctgttgc aggttaccta 120 ttgagcaccg gtaagctgta ttatgccctg gtgttgcttg ggctaacaat tcctcaggtg 180 ttctttcagt tccagtactt cctgaaggac cctgtgaagt atgatgtcaa atatcaggca 240 agcgcacaac cattctt 257 29 368 DNA Zea sp 29 atccagttgc aaataataat ggcgttcttc tctgttgtaa tagcactatt caaggatata 60 cctgacatcg aaggggaccg catattcggg atccgatcct tcagcgtccg gttagggcaa 120 aagaaggtct tttggatctg cgttggcttg cttgagatgg cctacagcgt tgcgatactg 180 atgggagcta cctcttcctg tttgtggagc aaaacagcaa ccatcgctgg ccattccata 240 cttgccgcga tcctatggag ctgcgcgcga tcggtggact tgacgagcaa agccgcaata 300 acgtccttct acatgttcat ctggaagctg ttctacgcgg agtacctgct catccctctg 360 gtgcggtg 368 30 122 PRT Zea sp 30 Ile Gln Leu Gln Ile Ile Met Ala Phe Phe Ser Val Val Ile Ala Leu 1 5 10 15 Phe Lys Asp Ile Pro Asp Ile Glu Gly Asp Arg Ile Phe Gly Ile Arg 20 25 30 Ser Phe Ser Val Arg Leu Gly Gln Lys Lys Val Phe Trp Ile Cys Val 35 40 45 Gly Leu Leu Glu Met Ala Tyr Ser Val Ala Ile Leu Met Gly Ala Thr 50 55 60 Ser Ser Cys Leu Trp Ser Lys Thr Ala Thr Ile Ala Gly His Ser Ile 65 70 75 80 Leu Ala Ala Ile Leu Trp Ser Cys Ala Arg Ser Val Asp Leu Thr Ser 85 90 95 Lys Ala Ala Ile Thr Ser Phe Tyr Met Phe Ile Trp Lys Leu Phe Tyr 100 105 110 Ala Glu Tyr Leu Leu Ile Pro Leu Val Arg 115 120 31 278 DNA Zea sp 31 tattcagcac cacctctcaa gctcaagcag aatggatgga ttgggaactt cgctctgggt 60 gcgagttaca tcagcttgcc ctggtgggct ggccaggcgt tatttggaac tcttacacca 120 gatatcattg tcttgactac tttgtacagc atagctgggc tagggattgc tattgtaaat 180 gatttcaaga gtattgaagg ggataggact ctggggcttc agtcacttcc tgttgctttt 240 gggatggaaa ctgcaaaatg gatttgtgtt ggagcaat 278 32 292 PRT Synechocystis sp 32 Met Val Ala Gln Thr Pro Ser Ser Pro Pro Leu Trp Leu Thr Ile Ile 1 5 10 15 Tyr Leu Leu Arg Trp His Lys Pro Ala Gly Arg Leu Ile Leu Met Ile 20 25 30 Pro Ala Leu Trp Ala Val Cys Leu Ala Ala Gln Gly Leu Pro Pro Leu 35 40 45 Pro Leu Leu Gly Thr Ile Ala Leu Gly Thr Leu Ala Thr Ser Gly Leu 50 55 60 Gly Cys Val Val Asn Asp Leu Trp Asp Arg Asp Ile Asp Pro Gln Val 65 70 75 80 Glu Arg Thr Lys Gln Arg Pro Leu Ala Ala Arg Ala Leu Ser Val Gln 85 90 95 Val Gly Ile Gly Val Ala Leu Val Ala Leu Leu Cys Ala Ala Gly Leu 100 105 110 Ala Phe Tyr Leu Thr Pro Leu Ser Phe Trp Leu Cys Val Ala Ala Val 115 120 125 Pro Val Ile Val Ala Tyr Pro Gly Ala Lys Arg Val Phe Pro Val Pro 130 135 140 Gln Leu Val Leu Ser Ile Ala Trp Gly Phe Ala Val Leu Ile Ser Trp 145 150 155 160 Ser Ala Val Thr Gly Asp Leu Thr Asp Ala Thr Trp Val Leu Trp Gly 165 170 175 Ala Thr Val Phe Trp Thr Leu Gly Phe Asp Thr Val Tyr Ala Met Ala 180 185 190 Asp Arg Glu Asp Asp Arg Arg Ile Gly Val Asn Ser Ser Ala Leu Phe 195 200 205 Phe Gly Gln Tyr Val Gly Glu Ala Val Gly Ile Phe Phe Ala Leu Thr 210 215 220 Ile Gly Cys Leu Phe Tyr Leu Gly Met Ile Leu Met Leu Asn Pro Leu 225 230 235 240 Tyr Trp Leu Ser Leu Ala Ile Ala Ile Val Gly Trp Val Ile Gln Tyr 245 250 255 Ile Gln Leu Ser Ala Pro Thr Pro Glu Pro Lys Leu Tyr Gly Gln Ile 260 265 270 Phe Gly Gln Asn Val Ile Ile Gly Phe Val Leu Leu Ala Gly Met Leu 275 280 285 Leu Gly Trp Leu 290 33 316 PRT Synechocystis sp 33 Met Val Thr Ser Thr Lys Ile His Arg Gln His Asp Ser Met Gly Ala 1 5 10 15 Val Cys Lys Ser Tyr Tyr Gln Leu Thr Lys Pro Arg Ile Ile Pro Leu 20 25 30 Leu Leu Ile Thr Thr Ala Ala Ser Met Trp Ile Ala Ser Glu Gly Arg 35 40 45 Val Asp Leu Pro Lys Leu Leu Ile Thr Leu Leu Gly Gly Thr Leu Ala 50 55 60 Ala Ala Ser Ala Gln Thr Leu Asn Cys Ile Tyr Asp Gln Asp Ile Asp 65 70 75 80 Tyr Glu Met Leu Arg Thr Arg Ala Arg Pro Ile Pro Ala Gly Lys Val 85 90 95 Gln Pro Arg His Ala Leu Ile Phe Ala Leu Ala Leu Gly Val Leu Ser 100 105 110 Phe Ala Leu Leu Ala Thr Phe Val Asn Val Leu Ser Gly Cys Leu Ala 115 120 125 Leu Ser Gly Ile Val Phe Tyr Met Leu Val Tyr Thr His Trp Leu Lys 130 135 140 Arg His Thr Ala Gln Asn Ile Val Ile Gly Gly Ala Ala Gly Ser Ile 145 150 155 160 Pro Pro Leu Val Gly Trp Ala Ala Val Thr Gly Asp Leu Ser Trp Thr 165 170 175 Pro Trp Val Leu Phe Ala Leu Ile Phe Leu Trp Thr Pro Pro His Phe 180 185 190 Trp Ala Leu Ala Leu Met Ile Lys Asp Asp Tyr Ala Gln Val Asn Val 195 200 205 Pro Met Leu Pro Val Ile Ala Gly Glu Glu Lys Thr Val Ser Gln Ile 210 215 220 Trp Tyr Tyr Ser Leu Leu Val Val Pro Phe Ser Leu Leu Leu Val Tyr 225 230 235 240 Pro Leu His Gln Leu Gly Ile Leu Tyr Leu Ala Ile Ala Ile Ile Leu 245 250 255 Gly Gly Gln Phe Leu Val Lys Ala Trp Gln Leu Lys Gln Ala Pro Gly 260 265 270 Asp Arg Asp Leu Ala Arg Gly Leu Phe Lys Phe Ser Ile Phe Tyr Leu 275 280 285 Met Leu Leu Cys Leu Ala Met Val Ile Asp Ser Leu Pro Val Thr His 290 295 300 Gln Leu Val Ala Gln Met Gly Thr Leu Leu Leu Gly 305 310 315 34 324 PRT Synechocystis sp 34 Met Ser Asp Thr Gln Asn Thr Gly Gln Asn Gln Ala Lys Ala Arg Gln 1 5 10 15 Leu Leu Gly Met Lys Gly Ala Ala Pro Gly Glu Ser Ser Ile Trp Lys 20 25 30 Ile Arg Leu Gln Leu Met Lys Pro Ile Thr Trp Ile Pro Leu Ile Trp 35 40 45 Gly Val Val Cys Gly Ala Ala Ser Ser Gly Gly Tyr Ile Trp Ser Val 50 55 60 Glu Asp Phe Leu Lys Ala Leu Thr Cys Met Leu Leu Ser Gly Pro Leu 65 70 75 80 Met Thr Gly Tyr Thr Gln Thr Leu Asn Asp Phe Tyr Asp Arg Asp Ile 85 90 95 Asp Ala Ile Asn Glu Pro Tyr Arg Pro Ile Pro Ser Gly Ala Ile Ser 100 105 110 Val Pro Gln Val Val Thr Gln Ile Leu Ile Leu Leu Val Ala Gly Ile 115 120 125 Gly Val Ala Tyr Gly Leu Asp Val Trp Ala Gln His Asp Phe Pro Ile 130 135 140 Met Met Val Leu Thr Leu Gly Gly Ala Phe Val Ala Tyr Ile Tyr Ser 145 150 155 160 Ala Pro Pro Leu Lys Leu Lys Gln Asn Gly Trp Leu Gly Asn Tyr Ala 165 170 175 Leu Gly Ala Ser Tyr Ile Ala Leu Pro Trp Trp Ala Gly His Ala Leu 180 185 190 Phe Gly Thr Leu Asn Pro Thr Ile Met Val Leu Thr Leu Ile Tyr Ser 195 200 205 Leu Ala Gly Leu Gly Ile Ala Val Val Asn Asp Phe Lys Ser Val Glu 210 215 220 Gly Asp Arg Gln Leu Gly Leu Lys Ser Leu Pro Val Met Phe Gly Ile 225 230 235 240 Gly Thr Ala Ala Trp Ile Cys Val Ile Met Ile Asp Val Phe Gln Ala 245 250 255 Gly Ile Ala Gly Tyr Leu Ile Tyr Val His Gln Gln Leu Tyr Ala Thr 260 265 270 Ile Val Leu Leu Leu Leu Ile Pro Gln Ile Thr Phe Gln Asp Met Tyr 275 280 285 Phe Leu Arg Asn Pro Leu Glu Asn Asp Val Lys Tyr Gln Ala Ser Ala 290 295 300 Gln Pro Phe Leu Val Phe Gly Met Leu Ala Thr Gly Leu Ala Leu Gly 305 310 315 320 His Ala Gly Ile 35 307 PRT Synechocystis sp 35 Met Thr Glu Ser Ser Pro Leu Ala Pro Ser Thr Ala Pro Ala Thr Arg 1 5 10 15 Lys Leu Trp Leu Ala Ala Ile Lys Pro Pro Met Tyr Thr Val Ala Val 20 25 30 Val Pro Ile Thr Val Gly Ser Ala Val Ala Tyr Gly Leu Thr Gly Gln 35 40 45 Trp His Gly Asp Val Phe Thr Ile Phe Leu Leu Ser Ala Ile Ala Ile 50 55 60 Ile Ala Trp Ile Asn Leu Ser Asn Asp Val Phe Asp Ser Asp Thr Gly 65 70 75 80 Ile Asp Val Arg Lys Ala His Ser Val Val Asn Leu Thr Gly Asn Arg 85 90 95 Asn Leu Val Phe Leu Ile Ser Asn Phe Phe Leu Leu Ala Gly Val Leu 100 105 110 Gly Leu Met Ser Met Ser Trp Arg Ala Gln Asp Trp Thr Val Leu Glu 115 120 125 Leu Ile Gly Val Ala Ile Phe Leu Gly Tyr Thr Tyr Gln Gly Pro Pro 130 135 140 Phe Arg Leu Gly Tyr Leu Gly Leu Gly Glu Leu Ile Cys Leu Ile Thr 145 150 155 160 Phe Gly Pro Leu Ala Ile Ala Ala Ala Tyr Tyr Ser Gln Ser Gln Ser 165 170 175 Phe Ser Trp Asn Leu Leu Thr Pro Ser Val Phe Val Gly Ile Ser Thr 180 185 190 Ala Ile Ile Leu Phe Cys Ser His Phe His Gln Val Glu Asp Asp Leu 195 200 205 Ala Ala Gly Lys Lys Ser Pro Ile Val Arg Leu Gly Thr Lys Leu Gly 210 215 220 Ser Gln Val Leu Thr Leu Ser Val Val Ser Leu Tyr Leu Ile Thr Ala 225 230 235 240 Ile Gly Val Leu Cys His Gln Ala Pro Trp Gln Thr Leu Leu Ile Ile 245 250 255 Ala Ser Leu Pro Trp Ala Val Gln Leu Ile Arg His Val Gly Gln Tyr 260 265 270 His Asp Gln Pro Glu Gln Val Ser Asn Cys Lys Phe Ile Ala Val Asn 275 280 285 Leu His Phe Phe Ser Gly Met Leu Met Ala Ala Gly Tyr Gly Trp Ala 290 295 300 Gly Leu Gly 305 36 927 DNA Synechocystis sp 36 atggcaacta tccaagcttt ttggcgcttc tcccgccccc ataccatcat tggtacaact 60 ctgagcgtct gggctgtgta tctgttaact attctcgggg atggaaactc agttaactcc 120 cctgcttccc tggatttagt gttcggcgct tggctggcct gcctgttggg taatgtgtac 180 attgtcggcc tcaaccaatt gtgggatgtg gacattgacc gcatcaataa gccgaatttg 240 cccctagcta acggagattt ttctatcgcc cagggccgtt ggattgtggg actttgtggc 300 gttgcttcct tggcgatcgc ctggggatta gggctatggc tggggctaac ggtgggcatt 360 agtttgatta ttggcacggc ctattcggtg ccgccagtga ggttaaagcg cttttccctg 420 ctggcggccc tgtgtattct gacggtgcgg ggaattgtgg ttaacttggg cttattttta 480 ttttttagaa ttggtttagg ttatcccccc actttaataa cccccatctg ggttttgact 540 ttatttatct tagttttcac cgtggcgatc gccattttta aagatgtgcc agatatggaa 600 ggcgatcggc aatttaagat tcaaacttta actttgcaaa tcggcaaaca aaacgttttt 660 cggggaacct taattttact cactggttgt tatttagcca tggcaatctg gggcttatgg 720 gcggctatgc ctttaaatac tgctttcttg attgtttccc atttgtgctt attagcctta 780 ctctggtggc ggagtcgaga tgtacactta gaaagcaaaa ccgaaattgc tagtttttat 840 cagtttattt ggaagctatt tttcttagag tacttgctgt atcccttggc tctgtggtta 900 cctaattttt ctaatactat tttttag 927 37 308 PRT Synechocystis sp 37 Met Ala Thr Ile Gln Ala Phe Trp Arg Phe Ser Arg Pro His Thr Ile 1 5 10 15 Ile Gly Thr Thr Leu Ser Val Trp Ala Val Tyr Leu Leu Thr Ile Leu 20 25 30 Gly Asp Gly Asn Ser Val Asn Ser Pro Ala Ser Leu Asp Leu Val Phe 35 40 45 Gly Ala Trp Leu Ala Cys Leu Leu Gly Asn Val Tyr Ile Val Gly Leu 50 55 60 Asn Gln Leu Trp Asp Val Asp Ile Asp Arg Ile Asn Lys Pro Asn Leu 65 70 75 80 Pro Leu Ala Asn Gly Asp Phe Ser Ile Ala Gln Gly Arg Trp Ile Val 85 90 95 Gly Leu Cys Gly Val Ala Ser Leu Ala Ile Ala Trp Gly Leu Gly Leu 100 105 110 Trp Leu Gly Leu Thr Val Gly Ile Ser Leu Ile Ile Gly Thr Ala Tyr 115 120 125 Ser Val Pro Pro Val Arg Leu Lys Arg Phe Ser Leu Leu Ala Ala Leu 130 135 140 Cys Ile Leu Thr Val Arg Gly Ile Val Val Asn Leu Gly Leu Phe Leu 145 150 155 160 Phe Phe Arg Ile Gly Leu Gly Tyr Pro Pro Thr Leu Ile Thr Pro Ile 165 170 175 Trp Val Leu Thr Leu Phe Ile Leu Val Phe Thr Val Ala Ile Ala Ile 180 185 190 Phe Lys Asp Val Pro Asp Met Glu Gly Asp Arg Gln Phe Lys Ile Gln 195 200 205 Thr Leu Thr Leu Gln Ile Gly Lys Gln Asn Val Phe Arg Gly Thr Leu 210 215 220 Ile Leu Leu Thr Gly Cys Tyr Leu Ala Met Ala Ile Trp Gly Leu Trp 225 230 235 240 Ala Ala Met Pro Leu Asn Thr Ala Phe Leu Ile Val Ser His Leu Cys 245 250 255 Leu Leu Ala Leu Leu Trp Trp Arg Ser Arg Asp Val His Leu Glu Ser 260 265 270 Lys Thr Glu Ile Ala Ser Phe Tyr Gln Phe Ile Trp Lys Leu Phe Phe 275 280 285 Leu Glu Tyr Leu Leu Tyr Pro Leu Ala Leu Trp Leu Pro Asn Phe Ser 290 295 300 Asn Thr Ile Phe 305 38 1092 DNA Synechocystis sp 38 atgaaatttc cgccccacag tggttaccat tggcaaggtc aatcaccttt ctttgaaggt 60 tggtacgtgc gcctgctttt gccccaatcc ggggaaagtt ttgcttttat gtactccatc 120 gaaaatcctg ctagcgatca tcattacggc ggcggtgctg tgcaaatttt agggccggct 180 acgaaaaaac aagaaaatca ggaagaccaa cttgtttggc ggacatttcc ctcggtaaaa 240 aaattttggg ccagtcctcg ccagtttgcc ctagggcatt ggggaaaatg tagggataac 300 aggcaggcga aacccctact ctccgaagaa ttttttgcca cggtcaagga aggttatcaa 360 atccatcaaa atcagcacca aggacaaatc attcatggcg atcgccattg tcgttggcag 420 ttcaccgtag aaccggaagt aacttggggg agtcctaacc gatttcctcg ggctacagcg 480 ggttggcttt cctttttacc cttgtttgat cccggttggc aaattctttt agcccaaggt 540 agagcgcacg gctggctgaa atggcagagg gaacagtatg aatttgacca cgccctagtt 600 tatgccgaaa aaaattgggg tcactccttt ccctcccgct ggttttggct ccaagcaaat 660 tattttcctg accatccagg actgagcgtc actgccgctg gcggggaacg gattgttctt 720 ggtcgccccg aagaggtagc tttaattggc ttacatcacc aaggtaattt ttacgaattt 780 ggcccgggcc atggcacagt cacttggcaa gtagctccct ggggccgttg gcaattaaaa 840 gccagcaatg ataggtattg ggtcaagttg tccggaaaaa cagataaaaa aggcagttta 900 gtccacactc ccaccgccca gggcttacaa ctcaactgcc gagataccac taggggctat 960 ttgtatttgc aattgggatc tgtgggtcac ggcctgatag tgcaagggga aacggacacc 1020 gcggggctag aagttggagg tgattggggt ttaacagagg aaaatttgag caaaaaaaca 1080 gtgccattct ga 1092 39 363 PRT Synechocystis sp 39 Met Lys Phe Pro Pro His Ser Gly Tyr His Trp Gln Gly Gln Ser Pro 1 5 10 15 Phe Phe Glu Gly Trp Tyr Val Arg Leu Leu Leu Pro Gln Ser Gly Glu 20 25 30 Ser Phe Ala Phe Met Tyr Ser Ile Glu Asn Pro Ala Ser Asp His His 35 40 45 Tyr Gly Gly Gly Ala Val Gln Ile Leu Gly Pro Ala Thr Lys Lys Gln 50 55 60 Glu Asn Gln Glu Asp Gln Leu Val Trp Arg Thr Phe Pro Ser Val Lys 65 70 75 80 Lys Phe Trp Ala Ser Pro Arg Gln Phe Ala Leu Gly His Trp Gly Lys 85 90 95 Cys Arg Asp Asn Arg Gln Ala Lys Pro Leu Leu Ser Glu Glu Phe Phe 100 105 110 Ala Thr Val Lys Glu Gly Tyr Gln Ile His Gln Asn Gln His Gln Gly 115 120 125 Gln Ile Ile His Gly Asp Arg His Cys Arg Trp Gln Phe Thr Val Glu 130 135 140 Pro Glu Val Thr Trp Gly Ser Pro Asn Arg Phe Pro Arg Ala Thr Ala 145 150 155 160 Gly Trp Leu Ser Phe Leu Pro Leu Phe Asp Pro Gly Trp Gln Ile Leu 165 170 175 Leu Ala Gln Gly Arg Ala His Gly Trp Leu Lys Trp Gln Arg Glu Gln 180 185 190 Tyr Glu Phe Asp His Ala Leu Val Tyr Ala Glu Lys Asn Trp Gly His 195 200 205 Ser Phe Pro Ser Arg Trp Phe Trp Leu Gln Ala Asn Tyr Phe Pro Asp 210 215 220 His Pro Gly Leu Ser Val Thr Ala Ala Gly Gly Glu Arg Ile Val Leu 225 230 235 240 Gly Arg Pro Glu Glu Val Ala Leu Ile Gly Leu His His Gln Gly Asn 245 250 255 Phe Tyr Glu Phe Gly Pro Gly His Gly Thr Val Thr Trp Gln Val Ala 260 265 270 Pro Trp Gly Arg Trp Gln Leu Lys Ala Ser Asn Asp Arg Tyr Trp Val 275 280 285 Lys Leu Ser Gly Lys Thr Asp Lys Lys Gly Ser Leu Val His Thr Pro 290 295 300 Thr Ala Gln Gly Leu Gln Leu Asn Cys Arg Asp Thr Thr Arg Gly Tyr 305 310 315 320 Leu Tyr Leu Gln Leu Gly Ser Val Gly His Gly Leu Ile Val Gln Gly 325 330 335 Glu Thr Asp Thr Ala Gly Leu Glu Val Gly Gly Asp Trp Gly Leu Thr 340 345 350 Glu Glu Asn Leu Ser Lys Lys Thr Val Pro Phe 355 360 40 56 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 40 cgcgatttaa atggcgcgcc ctgcaggcgg ccgcctgcag ggcgcgccat ttaaat 56 41 32 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 41 tcgaggatcc gcggccgcaa gcttcctgca gg 32 42 32 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 42 tcgacctgca ggaagcttgc ggccgcggat cc 32 43 32 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 43 tcgacctgca ggaagcttgc ggccgcggat cc 32 44 32 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 44 tcgaggatcc gcggccgcaa gcttcctgca gg 32 45 36 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 45 tcgaggatcc gcggccgcaa gcttcctgca ggagct 36 46 28 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 46 cctgcaggaa gcttgcggcc gcggatcc 28 47 36 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 47 tcgacctgca ggaagcttgc ggccgcggat ccagct 36 48 28 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 48 ggatccgcgg ccgcaagctt cctgcagg 28 49 39 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 49 gatcacctgc aggaagcttg cggccgcgga tccaatgca 39 50 31 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 50 ttggatccgc ggccgcaagc ttcctgcagg t 31 51 41 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 51 ggatccgcgg ccgcacaatg gagtctctgc tctctagttc t 41 52 38 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 52 ggatcctgca ggtcacttca aaaaaggtaa cagcaagt 38 53 45 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 53 ggatccgcgg ccgcacaatg gcgttttttg ggctctcccg tgttt 45 54 40 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 54 ggatcctgca ggttattgaa aacttcttcc aagtacaact 40 55 38 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 55 ggatccgcgg ccgcacaatg tggcgaagat ctgttgtt 38 56 37 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 56 ggatcctgca ggtcatggag agtagaagga aggagct 37 57 50 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 57 ggatccgcgg ccgcacaatg gtacttgccg aggttccaaa gcttgcctct 50 58 38 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 58 ggatcctgca ggtcacttgt ttctggtgat gactctat 38 59 38 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 59 ggatccgcgg ccgcacaatg acttcgattc tcaacact 38 60 36 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 60 ggatcctgca ggtcagtgtt gcgatgctaa tgccgt 36 61 22 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 61 taatgtgtac attgtcggcc tc 22 62 60 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 62 gcaatgtaac atcagagatt ttgagacaca acgtggcttt ccacaattcc ccgcaccgtc 60 63 22 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 63 aggctaataa gcacaaatgg ga 22 64 63 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 64 ggtatgagtc agcaacacct tcttcacgag gcagacctca gcggaattgg tttaggttat 60 ccc 63 65 26 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 65 ggatccatgg ttgcccaaac cccatc 26 66 61 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 66 gcaatgtaac atcagagatt ttgagacaca acgtggcttt gggtaagcaa caatgaccgg 60 c 61 67 25 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 67 gaattctcaa agccagccca gtaac 25 68 63 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 68 ggtatgagtc agcaacacct tcttcacgag gcagacctca gcgggtgcga aaagggtttt 60 ccc 63 69 23 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 69 ccagtggttt aggctgtgtg gtc 23 70 21 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 70 ctgagttgga tgtattggat c 21 71 28 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 71 ggatccatgg ttacttcgac aaaaatcc 28 72 60 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 72 gcaatgtaac atcagagatt ttgagacaca acgtggcttt gctaggcaac cgcttagtac 60 73 28 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 73 gaattcttaa cccaacagta aagttccc 28 74 63 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 74 ggtatgagtc agcaacacct tcttcacgag gcagacctca gcgccggcat tgtcttttac 60 atg 63 75 20 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 75 ggaacccttg cagccgcttc 20 76 22 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 76 gtatgcccaa ctggtgcaga gg 22 77 28 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 77 ggatccatgt ctgacacaca aaataccg 28 78 62 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 78 gcaatgtaac atcagagatt ttgagacaca acgtggcttt cgccaatacc agccaccaac 60 ag 62 79 27 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 79 gaattctcaa atccccgcat ggcctag 27 80 65 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 80 ggtatgagtc agcaacacct tcttcacgag gcagacctca gcggcctacg gcttggacgt 60 gtggg 65 81 21 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 81 cacttggatt cccctgatct g 21 82 21 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 82 gcaatacccg cttggaaaac g 21 83 29 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 83 ggatccatga ccgaatcttc gcccctagc 29 84 61 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 84 gcaatgtaac atcagagatt ttgagacaca acgtggcttt caatcctagg tagccgaggc 60 g 61 85 27 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 85 gaattcttag cccaggccag cccagcc 27 86 66 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 86 ggtatgagtc agcaacacct tcttcacgag gcagacctca gcggggaatt gatttgttta 60 attacc 66 87 21 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 87 gcgatcgcca ttatcgcttg g 21 88 24 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 88 gcagactggc aattatcagt aacg 24 89 25 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 89 ccatggattc gagtaaagtt gtcgc 25 90 25 DNA Artificial Sequence Description of Artificial Sequence Oligonucleotide 90 gaattcactt caaaaaaggt aacag 25 91 4550 DNA Arabidopsis sp 91 attttacacc aatttgatca cttaactaaa ttaattaaat tagatgatta tcccaccata 60 tttttgagca ttaaaccata aaaccatagt tataagtaac tgttttaatc gaatatgact 20 cgattaagat taggaaaaat ttataaccgg taattaagaa aacattaacc gtagtaaccg 80 taaatgccga ttcctccctt gtctaaaaga cagaaaacat atattttatt ttgccccata 40 tgtttcactc tatttaattt caggcacaat acttttggtt ggtaacaaaa ctaaaaagga 00 caacacgtga tacttttcct cgtccgtcag tcagattttt tttaaactag aaacaagtgg 60 caaatctaca ccacattttt tgcttaatct attaacttgt aagttttaaa ttcctaaaaa 20 agtctaacta attcttctaa tataagtaca ttccctaaat ttcccaaaaa gtcaaattaa 80 taattttcaa aatctaatct aaatatctaa taattcaaaa tcattaaaaa gacacgcaac 40 aatgacacca attaatcatc ctcgacccac acaattctac agttctcatg ctaaaccata 00 ttttttgctc tctgttcctt caaaatcatt tctttctctt ctttgattcc caaagatcac 60 ttctttgtct ttgatttttg attttttttc tctctggcgt gaaggaagaa gctttatttc 20 atggagtctc tgctctctag ttcttctctt gtttccgctg gtaaatctcg tccttttctg 80 gtttcaggtt ttatttgttg tttaggtttc gtttttgtga ttcagaacca tacaaaaagt 40 ttgaactttt ctgaatataa aataaggaaa aagtttcgat ttttataatg aattgtttac 00 tagatcgaag taggtgacaa aggttattgt gtggagaagc ataatttctg ggcttgactt 60 tgaattttgt ttctcatgca tgcaacttat caatcagctg gtgggttttg ttggaagaag 120 cagaatctaa agctccactc tttatcaggt tcgttagggt tttatgggtt tttgaaatta 180 aatactcaat catcttagtc tcattattct attggttgaa tcacattttc taatttggaa 140 tttatgagac aatgtatgtt ggacttagtt gaagttcttc tctttggtta tagttgaagt 100 gttactgatg ttgtttagct ctttacacca atatatacac ccaattttgc agaaatccga 160 gttctgcgtt gtgattcgag taaagttgtc gcaaaaccga agtttaggaa caatcttgtt 120 aggcctgatg gtcaaggatc ttcattgttg ttgtatccaa aacataagtc gagatttcgg 180 gttaatgcca ctgcgggtca gcctgaggct ttcgactcga atagcaaaca gaagtctttt 140 agagactcgt tagatgcgtt ttacaggttt tctaggcctc atacagttat tggcacagtt 100 aagtttctct ttaaaaatgt aactctttta aaacgcaatc tttcagggtt ttcaaggaga 160 taacattagc tctgtgattg gatttgcagg tgcttagcat tttatctgta tctttcttag 120 cagtagagaa ggtttctgat atatctcctt tacttttcac tggcatcttg gaggtaatga 180 atatataaca cataatgacc gatgaagaag atacattttt ttcgtctctc tgtttaaaca 140 attgggtttt gttttcaggc tgttgttgca gctctcatga tgaacattta catagttggg 100 ctaaatcagt tgtctgatgt tgaaatagat aaggtaacat gcaaattttc ttcatatgag 160 ttcgagagac tgatgagatt aatagcagct agtgcctaga tcatctctat gtgggttttt 120 gcaggttaac aagccctatc ttccattggc atcaggagaa tattctgtta acaccggcat 180 tgcaatagta gcttccttct ccatcatggt atggtgccat tttcacaaaa tttcaacttt 240 tagaattcta taagttactg aaatagtttg ttataaatcg ttatagagtt tctggcttgg 200 gtggattgtt ggttcatggc cattgttctg ggctcttttt gtgagtttca tgctcggtac 260 tgcatactct atcaatgtaa gtaagtttct caatactaga atttggctca aatcaaaatc 220 tgcagtttct agttttaggt taatgaggtt ttaataactt acttctacta caaacagttg 280 ccacttttac ggtggaaaag atttgcattg gttgcagcaa tgtgtatcct cgctgtccga 240 gctattattg ttcaaatcgc cttttatcta catattcagg tactaaacca ttttccttat 200 gttttgtagt tgttttcatc aaaatcactt ttatattact aaagctgtga aactttgttg 260 cagacacatg tgtttggaag accaatcttg ttcactaggc ctcttatttt cgccactgcg 220 tttatgagct ttttctctgt cgttattgca ttgtttaagg taaacaaaga tggaaaaaga 280 ttaaatctat gtatacttaa agtaaagcat tctactgtta ttgatgagaa gttttctttt 240 ttggttggat gcaggatata cctgatatcg aaggggataa gatattcgga atccgatcat 200 tctctgtaac tctgggtcag aaacgggtac gatatctaaa ctaaagaaat tgttttgact 260 caagtgttgg attaagatta cagaagaaag aaaactgttt ttgtttcttg caaaattcag 220 gtgttttgga catgtgttac actacttcaa atggcttacg ctgttgcaat tctagttgga 280 gccacatctc cattcatatg gagcaaagtc atctcggtaa caatctttct ttacccatcg 240 aaaactcgct aattcatcgt ttgagtggta ctggtttcat tttgttccgt tctgttgatt 300 ttttttcagg ttgtgggtca tgttatactc gcaacaactt tgtgggctcg agctaagtcc 360 gttgatctga gtagcaaaac cgaaataact tcatgttata tgttcatatg gaaggttaga 320 ttcgtttata aatagagtct ttactgcctt tttatgcgct ccaatttgga attaaaatag 380 cctttcagtt tcatcgaatc accattatac tgataaattc tcatttctgc atcagctctt 340 ttatgcagag tacttgctgt tacctttttt gaagtgactg acattagaag agaagaagat 300 ggagataaaa gaataagtca tcactatgct tctgttttta ttacaagttc atgaaattag 360 gtagtgaact agtgaattag agttttattc tgaaacatgg cagactgcaa aaatatgtca 320 aagatatgaa tttctgttgg gtaaagaagt ctctgcttgg gcaaaatctt aaggttcggt 380 gtgttgatat aatgctaagc gaagaaatcg attctatgta gaaatttccg aaactatgtg 340 taaacatgtc agaacatctc cattctatat cttcttctgc aagaaagctc tgtttttatc 300 acctaaactc tttatctctg tgtagttaag atatgtatat gtacgtgact acattttttt 360 gttgatgtaa tttgcagaac gtatggattt ttgttagaaa gcatgagttc gaaagtatat 320 gtttatatat atggataatt cagacctaac gtcgaagctc acaagcataa attcactact 380 atagtttgct ctgtaataga tagttccatt gatgtcttga aactgtacgt aactgcctgg 340 gcgttttgtg gttgatactg actactgagt gttctttgtg agtgttgtaa gtatacaaga 300 agaagaatat aggctcacgg gaacgactgt ggtggaagat gaaatggaga tcatcacgta 360 gcggctttgc caaagaccga gtcacgatcg agtctatgaa gtctttacag ctgctgatta 420 tgattgacca ttgcttagag acgcattgga atcttactag ggacttgcct gggagtttct 480 tcaagtacgt gtcagatcat acgatgtagg agatttcacg gctttgatgt gtttgtttgg 440 agtcacaatg cttaatgggc ttattggccc aataatagct agctcttttg ctttagccgt 400 ttcgtttgtc ccctggtggt gagtattatt agggtatggt gtgaccaaag tcaccagacc 460 tagagtgaat ctagtagagt cctagaccat ggtccatggc ttttatttgt aatttgaaaa 420 atgaacaatt ctttttgtaa ggaaaacttt tatatagtag acgtttacta tatagaaact 480 agttgaacta acttcgtgca attgcataat aatggtgtga aatagagggt gcaaaactca 440 ataaacattt cgacgtacca agagttcgaa acaataagca aaatagattt ttttgcttca 400 gactaatttg tacaatgaat ggttaataaa ccattgaagc ttttattaat 450 92 4450 DNA Arabidopsis sp 92 tttaggttac aaaatcaatg atattgcgta tgtcaactat aaaagccaaa agtaaagcct 60 cttgtttgac cagaaggtca tgatcattgt atacatacag ccaaactacc tcctggaaga 120 aaagacatgg atcccaaaca acaacaatag cttcttttac aagaaccagt agtaactagt 180 cactaatcta aaagagttaa gtttcagctt ttctggcaat ggctccttga tcatttcaat 240 cctgaaggag acccactttg tagcaagacc atgtcctctg tttcacttac agtgtgtctc 300 aaaagtctac ttcaattctt catatatagg ttcctcacac tacagcttca tcctcattcg 360 ttgacagaga gagagtcttt attgaaaact tcttccaagt acaactccac taaatataat 420 agcaccaaac cacttgttcg acacaaatct gtacagatat aaaaacacta ttaggttttc 480 caaggcaaat cacataattg gattgtgaaa gagtacaaaa gataaaccca aattttcata 540 ctttctactg cagtcagcac cagatgataa gtcagctgtc cctatttgcc atcctaactg 600 tcctgatgca gcggccagtg atgcgtaata ttgccaccct taatcattag agcgagaaac 660 aaaaagaatc aaaagacagt aaatggaatt aggaatcaca aatgagtcct tgtaaagttt 720 attgagtacc gagatctgca ctgaatccag aaagtgcaag aaaacctatg gatgctgtgc 780 caaatccagt taaccaaagc tttgtattat caccgaatct aagggctgtt gacttaacac 840 caacttttac atcatcttct ttgtcctgga gacacaatat attagacatt agtccatgga 900 aaaaaaatga tttaacctag aatatctcaa aattacttgc ataaaaactg aacttgagct 960 gaaattttgg gttcgtagct tgtggcatat actatttcat tttcaatggg ccacaaaggt 1020 aactttcttt tctcacttct gttgcaaacg ggaagacttt tatggggcta actcttcact 1080 taaagtatag aaatcagatg gaaaaggtgg gagatcaggg taattttctt ctttatgatt 1140 gacaaaagtc gaacatcgaa atggatgcat ttgcatgaga catgaaacaa aagctgaaaa 1200 agaaatctgt ggtggtgaag ctagaaaaag aaaacaaagc aagcaatatg cacacattga 1260 gattaactac tttgctactg gtcataatca aatagatttt gaagctaaaa aataaaaagt 1320 gaatatacct gatgtgcata aatagtatca taaacaaggg tccagcagac tccggagaga 1380 tagagaggga gtacaataga tggtgctatg cttcctttaa ctgcagtcca tcctaacaat 1440 gctccccagt ttatggtcaa acctaaaaag gcttgaggct gcaattataa aaacgaatca 1500 atcataagaa aatcagaaaa tatataatgt ctaactttga gaagccagaa tagatttaaa 1560 ttacccaaaa tgtaaacctc ttcataagtg ggtaggaaaa gacaagtaac aaagatgaag 1620 cccctaaaac acggctgcag aatatacata ctgaaatgag ctcaagtaga aaagaatttg 1680 atcacaaaac taaagacaag acctgagaac atatcttcag aatttgggcc aactacataa 1740 gggtgaacca tatgtgtatg tgaattttta aacaaacact tgcaaatacg cgactttagg 1800 gcaagtaaaa aatccaaaca aacctgtaat tgttaagttg gagaagaatc cctaagccta 1860 aaagcaactg cagcccgaga aatccaatcc cttgaaatgg tgtcaaaaga ccactggcga 1920 taggtcttag ttttgtacga tcaacctgga tataaaagaa atttgtaaga caacataatc 1980 taaaacaaaa caaccataca aaatcttgag ctttacatac aagcaaccca tctttgttta 2040 tggaagaatg aatccagtta catgaatgct gtgtatctac cctaactact aaacacatat 2100 ttcaatcgaa aaacatattc caccttcacc atatctaaca cctgaagtct ttcacttttt 2160 gaacgaagtc atcagaacat gcagataagc tattacccaa aacagagata tgactggaaa 2220 tgttgtcgta aattgatcca acatagaaaa atcaagacca gttccagatg tcaaagcaat 2280 aacactttcc caccatggtt acagaaacca tagttacaca aaacatgttt cctaaaccaa 2340 catactaaag ggatatataa atttgacatc actttatcac cataccataa gatagcttaa 2400 aaacaaactg acctttgtat ctatgtcctg atcaagcaga tcatttatag tacaaccagc 2460 acctctaaga agtaatgctc cgcaaccaaa taaagccata tatttaaaac ttggaaggct 2520 tccaggatca gcagccaacg caatcgacct atacaacaat gatggagatt cagagtatcg 2580 atctatttac atagctctgg aactagatcc atgacgaaac atggaacatc gttataatat 2640 ctaaagactt ccaaacagat tcctgagtaa gaaacccagt ggaactatag tactgtaaca 2700 tatataaaat caaagaaaac tcaggtttat agcattatcc aatcctgatt tctgccaatc 2760 cttaaccact ctcccatgct atcaaaaacc tcagctcaag atcatactac ctaattgcct 2820 atgagctctt gggaagatca ttatggattt gataactgaa aaaagtaaca gagaaatagc 2880 agactgcaag aactactcca aacttctcca ctgatatgta tgtagtctaa caataataaa 2940 cagacataaa ttcttttatc aagcttcaag agcaagttag tcagaaaaca tcacagccaa 3000 accaaccagg aaaacacata actttatcac ataaaactaa atttaatgta atctgactta 3060 acataaacca tcctttggga cgaaaggaaa ctatataaac atgcagtctt tctttccctc 3120 agctattctt tcggatggat tataatgaat ctcaaaagtg aaatgtcttg attctcagct 3180 acattactca aaggcgaaga taaacttacc acatacaagg ccacgcaagc aaccaagttc 3240 caatgggttt atccaatcga gcaagcttag cataacctct aacttcttct ggtaaataca 3300 aatctatcca agaagcttcc ttaacaacaa caccatcact cttctcctta tcatctttct 3360 tcggctttcc ctccaaaacc gaagaagacg acgacattcc acaaattaat ctgtaattcc 3420 aaccaacacc aaaaaacttc tcctgatgca attctcttcc tttactccat acttggtaat 3480 tatcattcca tgaaggataa cacttagtga aaggatttgt gtaatgggta gtcacaggat 3540 tggacaagga tttatgttgt gattgcaaaa gagcagagga agaagatgga gttacggaga 3600 cggaagattt caacaaccgt cttgaaacac gggagagccc aaaaaacgcc atctttgaga 3660 gaaattgttg cctggaagaa acaaagactt gagatttcaa acgtaagtga attcttacga 3720 acgaaagcta acttctcaag agaatcagat tagtgattcc tcaaaaacaa acaaaactat 3780 ctaatttcag tttcgagtga tgaagcctta agaatctaga acctccatgg cgtttctaat 3840 ctctcagaga taatcgaatt ccttaaacaa tcaaagctta gaaagagaag aacaacaaca 3900 acaacaaaaa aaatcagatt aacaaccgac cagagagcaa cgacgacgcc ggcgagaaag 3960 agcacgtcgt ctcggagcaa gacttcttct ccagtaaccc ggatggatcg ttaatgggcc 4020 tgtagattat tatatttggg ccgaaacaat tgggtcagca aaaacttggg ggataatgaa 4080 gaaacacgta cagtatgcat ttaggctcca aattaattgg ccatataatt cgaatcagat 4140 aaactaatca acccctacct tacttatttc tcactgtttt tatttctacc ttagtagttg 4200 aagaaacact tttatttatc ttttcgggac ccaaatttga taggatcggg ccattactca 4260 tgagcgtcag acacatatta gccttatcag attagtgggg taaggttttt ttaattcggt 4320 aagaagcaac aatcaatgtc ggagaaatta aagaatctgc atgggcgtgg cgtgatgata 4380 tgtgcatatg gagtcagttg ccgatcatat ataactattt ataaactaca tataaagact 4440 actaatagat 4450 93 2850 DNA Arabidopsis sp 93 aattaaaatt tgagcggtct aaaccattag accgtttaga gatccctcca acccaaaata 60 gtcgattttc acgtcttgaa catatattgg gccttaatct gtgtggttag taaagacttt 120 tattggtcaa agaaaaacaa ccatggccca acatgttgat acttttattt aattatacaa 180 gtacccctga attctctgaa atatatttga ttgacccaga tattaatttt aattatcatt 240 tcctgtaaaa gtgaaggagt caccgtgact cgtcgtaatc tgaaaccaat ctgttcatat 300 gatgaagaag tttctctcgt tctcctccaa cgcgtagaaa attctgacgg cttaacgatg 360 tggcgaagat ctgttgttta tcgtttctct tcaagaatct ctgtttcttc ttcgttacca 420 aaccctagac tgattccttg gtcccgcgaa ttatgtgccg ttaatagctt ctcccagcct 480 ccggtctcga cggaatcaac tgctaagtta gggatcactg gtgttagatc tgatgccaat 540 cgagtttttg ccactgctac tgccgccgct acagctacag ctaccaccgg tgagatttcg 600 tctagagttg cggctttggc tggattaggg catcactacg ctcgttgtta ttgggagctt 660 tctaaagcta aacttaggta tgtgtttact tttcttttct catgaaaaat ctgaaaattt 720 ccaattgttg gattcttaaa ttctcatttg ttttatggtt gtagtatgct tgtggttgca 780 acttctggaa ctgggtatat tctgggtacg ggaaatgctg caattagctt cccggggctt 840 tgttacacat gtgcaggaac catgatgatt gctgcatctg ctaattcctt gaatcaggtc 900 attgaaatgt tgagaagttc ataaatttcg aatccttgtt gtgtttatgt agttgatctt 960 gcttgcttat gtttatgtag ttgaaaagtt taaaaatttc taatccttgg tagttgatct 1020 cgcttgtttg ttttttcatt ttctagattt ttgagataag caatgattct aagatgaaaa 1080 gaacgatgct aaggccattg ccttcaggac gtattagtgt tccacacgct gttgcatggg 1140 ctactattgc tggtgcttct ggtgcttgtt tgttggccag caaggtgaat gtttgttttt 1200 ttatatgtga tttctttgtt ttatgaatgg gtgattgaga gattatggat ctaaactttt 1260 gcttccacga caaggttatt gcagactaat atgttggctg ctggacttgc atctgccaat 1320 cttgtacttt atgcgtttgt ttatactccg ttgaagcaac ttcaccctat caatacatgg 1380 gttggcgctg ttgttggtgc tatcccaccc ttgcttgggt aaatttttgt tccttttctt 1440 ctttatttta gcagattctg ttttgttgga tactgctttt aattcaaaat gtagtcatgg 1500 ttcaccaatt ctatgcttat ctattttgtg tgttgtcagg tgggcggcag cgtctggtca 1560 gatttcatac aattcgatga ttcttccagc tgctctttac ttttggcaga tacctcattt 1620 tatggccctt gcacatctct gccgcaatga ttatgcagct ggagggtaag accatatggt 1680 gtcatatgag attagaatgt ctccttccat gtagtgttga tcttgaacta gttcaatttc 1740 gtggaatgat cagagtgtcc tagatagtgt cacagcagtc gacattttag tggctagata 1800 atgagttctt tccgttagag ataaacattc gcgaacattg tttccagctt ccgcgaccca 1860 acttctgatt ttgtttcttg gtaccttgtt ttcagttaca agatgttgtc actctttgat 1920 ccgtcaggga agagaatagc agcagtggct ctaaggaact gcttttacat gatccctctc 1980 ggtttcatcg cctatgactg tgagtcttgt agattcatct tttttttgta gtttattgac 2040 tgcattgctg tatctgattt ttgctgttcc ttccaatttt tgtgacaggg gggttaacct 2100 caagttggtt ttgcctcgaa tcaacacttc tcacactagc aatcgctgca acagcatttt 2160 cattctaccg agaccggacc atgcataaag caaggaaaat gttccatgcc agtcttctct 2220 tccttcctgt tttcatgtct ggtcttcttc tacaccgtgt ctctaatgat aatcagcaac 2280 aactcgtaga agaagccgga ttaacaaatt ctgtatctgg tgaagtcaaa actcagaggc 2340 gaaagaaacg tgtggctcaa cctccggtgg cttatgcctc tgctgcaccg tttcctttcc 2400 tcccagctcc ttccttctac tctccatgat aacctttaag caagctattg aatttttgga 2460 aacagaaatt aaaaaaaaaa tctgaaaagt tcttaagttt aatctttggt taataatgaa 2520 gtggagaacg catacaagtt tatgtatttt ttctcatctc cacataattg tattttttct 2580 ctaagtatgt ttcaaatgat acaaaataca tactttatca attatctgat caaattgatg 2640 aatttttgag ctttgacgtg ttaggtctat ctaataaacg tagtaacgaa tttggttttg 2700 gaaatgaaat ccgataaccg atgatggtgt agagttaaac gattaaaccg ggttggttaa 2760 aggtctcgag tctcgacggc tgcggaaatc ggaaaatcac gattgaggac tttgagctgc 2820 cacgaagatg gcgatgaggt tgaaatcaat 2850 94 3660 DNA Arabidopsis sp 94 tatttgtatt tttattgtta aattttatga tttcacccgg tatatatcat cccatattaa 60 tattagattt attttttggg ctttatttgg gttttcgatt taaactgggc ccattctgct 120 tcaatgaaac cctaatgggt tttgtttggg ctttggattt aaaccgggcc cattctgctt 180 caatgaaggt cctttgtcca acaaaactaa catccgacac aactagtatt gccaagagga 240 tcgtgccaca tggcagttat tgaatcaaag gccgccaaaa ctgtaacgta gacattactt 300 atctccggta acggacaacc actcgtttcc cgaaacagca actcacagac tcacaccact 360 ccagtctccg gcttaactac caccagagac gattctctct tccgtcggtt ctatgacttc 420 gattctcaac actgtctcca ccatccactc ttccagagtt acctccgtcg atcgagtcgg 480 agtcctctct cttcggaatt cggattccgt tgagttcact cgccggcgtt ctggtttctc 540 gacgttgatc tacgaatcac ccggtagtta gcattctgtt ggatagattg atgaatgttt 600 tcttcgattt tttttttact gatcttgttg tggatctctc gtagggcgga gatttgttgt 660 gcgtgcggcg gagactgata ctgataaagg tatgattttt tagttgtttt tattttctct 720 ctcttcaaaa ttctcttttc aaacactgtg gcgtttgaat ttccgacggc agttaaatct 780 cagacacctg acaaggcacc agccggtggt tcaagcatta accagcttct cggtatcaaa 840 ggagcatctc aagaaactgt aattttgttc atctcctcag aatcttttaa attatcatat 900 ttgtggataa tgatgtgtta gtttaggaat tttcctacta aaggtaatct cttttgagga 960 caagtcttgt ttttagctta gaaatgatgt gaaaatgttg tttgttagct aaaaagagtt 1020 tgttgttata ttctgtattc agaataaatg gaagattcgt cttcagctta caaaaccagt 1080 cacttggcct ccactggttt ggggagtcgt ctgtggtgct gctgcttcag gtaatcatac 1140 gaacctcttt tggatcatgc aatactgtac agaaagtttt ttcattttcc ttccaattgt 1200 ttcttctggc agggaacttt cattggaccc cagaggatgt tgctaagtcg attctttgca 1260 tgatgatgtc tggtccttgt cttactggct atacacaggt ctggttttac acaacaaaaa 1320 gctgacttgt tcttattcta gtgcatttgc ttggtgctac aataacctag acttgtcgat 1380 ttccagacaa tcaacgactg gtatgataga gatatcgacg caattaatga gccatatcgt 1440 ccaattccat ctggagcaat atcagagcca gaggtaactg agacagaaca ttgtgagctt 1500 ttatctcttt tgtgattctg atttctcctt actccttaaa atgcaggtta ttacacaagt 1560 ctgggtgcta ttattgggag gtcttggtat tgctggaata ttagatgtgt gggtaagttg 1620 gcccttctga cattaactag tacagttaaa gggcacatca gatttgctaa aatcttccct 1680 tatcaggcag ggcataccac tcccactgtc ttctatcttg ctttgggagg atcattgcta 1740 tcttatatat actctgctcc acctcttaag gtaagtttta ttcctaactt ccactctcta 1800 gtgataagac actccatcca agttttggag ttttgaatat cgatatctga actgatctca 1860 ttgcagctaa aacaaaatgg atgggttgga aattttgcac ttggagcaag ctatattagt 1920 ttgccatggt aagatatctc gtgtatcaat aatatatggc gttgttctca tctcattgat 1980 ttgtttcttg ctcacttgac tgataggtgg gctggccaag cattgtttgg cactcttacg 2040 ccagatgttg ttgttctaac actcttgtac agcatagctg gggtactctt ttggcaaacc 2100 ttttatgttg cttttttcgt tatctgttgt aatatgctct tgcttcatgt tgtacctttg 2160 tgataatgca gttaggaata gccattgtta acgacttcaa aagtgttgaa ggagatagag 2220 cattaggact tcagtctctc ccagtagctt ttggcaccga aactgcaaaa tggatatgcg 2280 ttggtgctat agacattact cagctttctg ttgccggtat gtactatcca ctgtttttgt 2340 gcagctgtgg cttctatttc ttttccttga tcttatcaac tggatattca ccaatggtaa 2400 agcacaaatt aatgaagctg aatcaacaaa ggcaaaacat aaaagtacat tctaatgaaa 2460 tgagctaatg aagaggaggc atctactttt atgtttcatt agtgtgattg atggattttc 2520 atttcatgct tctaaaacaa gtattttcaa cagtgtcatg aaataacaga acttatatct 2580 tcatttgtac ttttactagt ggatgagtta cacaatcatt gttatagaac caaatcaaag 2640 gtagagatca tcattagtat atgtctattt tggttgcagg atatctatta gcatctggga 2700 aaccttatta tgcgttggcg ttggttgctt tgatcattcc tcagattgtg ttccaggtaa 2760 agacgttaac agtctcacat tataattaat caaattcttg tcactcgtct gattgctaca 2820 ctcgcttcta taaactgcag tttaaatact ttctcaagga ccctgtcaaa tacgacgtca 2880 agtaccaggt aagtcaactt agtacacatg tttgtgttct tttgaaatat ctttgagagg 2940 tctcttaatc agaagttgct tgaaacactc atcttgatta caggcaagcg cgcagccatt 3000 cttggtgctc ggaatatttg taacggcatt agcatcgcaa cactgaaaaa ggcgtatttt 3060 gatggggttt tgtcgaaagc agaggtgttg acacatcaaa tgtgggcaag tgatggcatc 3120 aactagttta aaagattttg taaaatgtat gtaccgttat tactagaaac aactcctgtt 3180 gtatcaattt agcaaaacgg ctgagaaatt gtaattgatg ttaccgtatt tgcgctccat 3240 ttttgcattt cctgctcata tcgaggattg gggtttatgt tagttctgtc acttctctgc 3300 tttcagaatg tttttgtttt ctgtagtgga ttttaactat tttcatcact ttttgtattg 3360 attctaaaca tgtatccaca taaaaacagt aatatacaaa aatgatactt cctcaaactt 3420 tttataatct aaatctaaca actagctagt aacccaacta acttcataca attaatttga 3480 gaaactacaa agactagact atacatatgt tatttaacaa cttgaaactg tgttattact 3540 acctgatttt tttctattct acagccattt gatatgctgc aatcttaaca tatcaagtct 3600 cacgttgttg gacacaacat actatcacaa gtaagacacg aagtaaaacc aaccggcaac 3660 

What is claimed is:
 1. An isolated nucleic acid sequence encoding a prenyltransferase.
 2. An isolated nucleic acid sequence according to claim 1, wherein said prenyltransferase is selected from the group consisting of straight chain prenyltransferase and aromatic prenyltransferase.
 3. An isolated DNA sequence according to claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid sequence is isolated from a eukaryotic cell source.
 4. An isolated DNA sequence according to claim 3, wherein said eukaryotic cell source is selected from the group consisting of mammalian, nematode, fungal, and plant cells.
 5. The DNA encoding sequence of claim 4 wherein said prenyltransferase protein is from Arabidopsis.
 6. The DNA encoding sequence of claim 5 wherein said prenyltransferase protein is encoded by a sequence selected from the group consisting of the sequences of FIG.
 1. 7. The DNA encoding sequence of claim 4 wherein said prenyltransferase protein is from corn.
 8. The DNA encoding sequence of claim 7 wherein said prenyltransferase protein is encoded by a sequence which includes the EST of the sequences of FIG.
 3. 9. The DNA encoding sequence of claim 4 wherein said prenyltransferase protein is from soybean.
 10. The DNA encoding sequence of claim 9 wherein said prenyltransferase protein is encoded by a sequence which includes the ESTs of the group consisting of the sequences of FIG. 2 and FIG.
 9. 11. An isolated DNA sequence according to claim 1, wherein said nucleic acid sequence is isolated from a prokaryotic cell source.
 12. An isolated DNA sequence according to claim 11, wherein said prokaryotic source is Synechocystis.
 13. A nucleic acid construct comprising as operably linked components, a transcriptional initiation region functional in a host cell, a nucleic acid sequence encoding prenyltransferase, and a transcriptional termination region.
 14. A nucleic acid construct according to claim 13, wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding prenyltransferase is obtained from an organism selected from the group consisting of a eukaryotic organism and a prokaryotic organism.
 15. A nucleic acid construct according to claim 14, wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding prenyltransferase is obtained from a plant source.
 16. A nucleic acid construct according to claim 15, wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding prenyltransferase is obtained from a source selected from the group consisting of Arabidopsis, soybean and corn.
 17. A nucleic acid construct according to claim 13, wherein said nucleic acid sequence encoding prenyltransferase is obtained from Synechocystis.
 18. A plant cell comprising the construct of claim
 13. 19. A method for the alteration of the tocopherol content in a host cell, comprising; transforming said host cell with a construct comprising as operably linked components, a transcriptional initiation region functional in a host cell, a nucleic acid sequence encoding prenyltransferase, and a transcriptional termination region.
 20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said host cell is selected from the group consisting of a prokaryotic cell and a eukaryotic cell.
 21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said prokaryotic cell is Synechocystis.
 22. The method according to claim 20, wherein said eukaryotic cell is a plant cell.
 23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said plant cell is obtained from a plant selected from the group consisting of Arabidopsis, soybean, and corn.
 24. A method for producing a tocopherol compound of interest in a host cell, said method comprising obtaining a transformed host cell, said host cell having and expressing in its genome: a construct having a DNA sequence encoding a prenyltransferase operably linked to a transcriptional initiation region functional in a host cell, wherein said prenyltransferase is involved in the synthesis of tocopherols.
 25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said host cell is selected from the group consisting of a prokaryotic cell and a eukaryotic cell.
 26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said prokaryotic cell is Synechocystis.
 27. The method according to claim 24, wherein said eukaryotic cell is a plant cell.
 28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said plant cell is obtained from a plant selected from the group consisting of Arabidopsis, soybean, and corn.
 29. A method for increasing the biosynthetic flux in cell from a host cell toward tocopherol production, said method comprising transforming said host cell with a construct comprising as operably linked components, a transcriptional initiation region functional in a host cell, a DNA encoding a prenyltransferase involved in the synthesis of tocopherols, and a transcriptional termination region.
 30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said host cell is selected from the group consisting of a prokaryotic cell and a eukaryotic cell.
 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said prokaryotic cell is Synechocystis.
 32. The method according to claim 30, wherein said eukaryotic cell is a plant cell.
 33. The method according to claim 32, wherein said plant cell is obtained from a plant selected from the group consisting of Arabidopsis, soybean, and corn. 